Notorious
by Cleo Clipper
Summary: At 18, Damon Salvatore was the Golden Boy of Mystic Falls with the world at his fingertips. He had money, a football scholarship to a prestigious school and power people could only dream of. At 19, he's become one of the most dangerous drug dealers Mystic Falls has ever seen. And Bonnie Bennett can't help but be dangerously attracted to him. All human. R&R please and thank you!
1. Prologue

**Hello! This is kind of my first time writing for the Bonnie/Damon fandom so I'm a little nervous! I will admit that I was a Damon/Elena fan until season 5 when it was, in my opinion, ruined. ****I recently watched the fifth season finale and had my eyes opened to how awesome Bonnie and Damon are. Then I got my friend hooked on the show and while re-watching episodes I saw their interactions I had forgotten about and fell in love even more. While my favorite couple will most likely never happen (if you've ever read my stories, I absolutely love the idea of Tyler/Jeremy) I seriously hope that Bonnie/Damon has a better shot of becoming endgame. **

**This story is a part of a new series idea I've had in my head and have been working on for a while. This first story is about Bonnie and Damon, the second story will be about another pairing and so on. This story deals a lot with issues that I have experienced firsthand (gangs, race, drug dealers, the whole nine yards). That being said, there will be racial slurs and gang terms in this story. If you don't like any of those things, I would advise you not to read this story. And please don't bash me because you feel that I'm being prejudiced! I am only putting my experiences and the experiences of people around me into a story. Now that that's said, I will stop typing this ridiculously long A/N and get on with the story! I hope you enjoy!**

**Warnings: racism/prejudice, drugs, violence, sex, angst, drama. There are also characters from The Originals in this story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any characters associated with them. I only own this plot and my OMCs.**

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><p>Oddly, he'd seen this coming a lot sooner than now. He nearly laughed at how long it took the police to catch up with him. He'd always been one step ahead but somewhere along the way they started sprinting when he'd just been strolling. But it was his fault he was here and he had no one to blame but himself. And he didn't blame anyone else, if he were perfectly honest. He didn't blame his parents, or his brother, or Katherine and especially not Bonnie.<p>

The thought of being arrested always seemed more dramatic to him, but that was just one more thing television lied about. When DEA agent Rudy Hopkins and his partner approached him and his brother sitting on a bench in the park and asked him, quite politely, to put his hands behind his back, he really felt let down. He could've easily given them the slip but he didn't want his brother to be taken in instead. He'd put him through enough already. That, and he was tired of fighting to stay one step ahead of the game. At least he could count on not being murdered if he went willingly.

He always knew he'd end up here. It was inevitable with the life he led. Drugs, fast money, gangs, they all lead to only two options; prison or death. Or both. Yet that hadn't stopped him from getting into the game. He'd seen the money, the power people had and he wanted it all. Now that he made his bed, he had to lie in it.

"Damon Salvatore, you're under arrest for the murder of Thierry Vanchure and conspiracy to sell and distribute heroin. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided to you before any questioning if you wish. You can exercise these rights at any time and not make any statements. Do you understand each of these rights as I have explained them to you?"

He smirked cheekily at the dark skinned officer, "Yes sir. I'm surprised it took you this long to find me."

"Don't flatter yourself Salvatore," Rudy snarled as he dragged him to the car.

"Wait! What the hell are you doing?" Stefan cried as he ran after them. "Damon what the hell is going on?"

"It's fine Stefan," he called over his shoulder. "Call Mason for me."

He was dragged through the trees to the street and then shoved in back of the squad car. It looked exactly as he'd envisioned it and couldn't help but chuckle at his situation. It was comical in that it had taken them so long to do this. He only wished Stefan wasn't there to witness it so he wouldn't ask questions about what he'd been doing in the time he'd lived away from home.

_So much for trying to make things right with him,_ he sighed to himself.

The two officers that arrested him got in the car and left without another word. Damon could hear the police radio in the front accompanied with a lot of static.

"Was that man back there one of your customers?"

"No."

"Maybe we should've arrested him too."

"He's my brother. I haven't seen him in months," Damon snapped. "Don't drag him into this."

"Does he know what you've been up to?"

Damon remained silent. The red-haired officer turned to him with a smirk and a chuckle.

"He doesn't know about his own brother? The notorious Ripper of the New Breed gang that sells the best heroin in town and kills anyone that gets in his way?"

"I wasn't aware you knew my nickname," Damon returned his smirk, making his disappear.

"We know a lot of things about you Salvatore," Rudy stated gruffly. Damon's response was cut off by his cellphone going off in his back pocket. He wiggled and maneuvered in his seat to make it fall out. His heart jolted in fear when Bonnie's name flash across the screen.

"Who's that?"

"No one," he retorted as he sat on his phone. One buzz indicated she'd left a voicemail. This situation kept getting worse and worse for him and when Hopkins found out his daughter was dating the criminal he'd been pursing for months it was going to be bad for her too. If the man allowed him to live after that he'd be the luckiest bastard in the world.

Getting involved with the daughter of a DEA agent, specifically one tasked with taking down his gang, was the stupidest decision he ever made. Marcel had always told him that Bonnie would be the reason he got caught up and he hadn't been wrong. However, he couldn't bring himself to regret his choices. He only hoped Bonnie felt the same.

As they drove through the streets of the city, the bright lights blurring together, he closed his eyes and went back to the beginning. Back to the days that changed his life and led him here.

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><p><strong>Reviews are love! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**You guys flatter me with the reviews you left! Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know what you think!**

**The story will jump back and forth between the present and the past but it will eventually catch up with the present. Hopefully it's not too confusing! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Warnings: none**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any characters or places associated with it. I only own this plot and my OMCs.**

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><p><em>May 13, 2010: 2 Weeks before Graduation<em>

"And that's how you get the square root of seven," Damon finished writing the answer to the algebra problem and faced the five sophomores that were staring at him with dumbfounded expressions. "Any questions?"

He was met with complete silence. He sighed inwardly and resisted banging his head against the whiteboard in frustration. The two boys at the end of the table—he couldn't remember their names for the life of him—looked higher than the sky. He wondered if they'd paid any attention at all.

"Where'd I lose you guys?"

"The freaking beginning of the problem!" the blonde sitting in the middle wearing bright red lipstick whined with a hopeless look on her face. "Seriously Damon, how do you _do_ this stuff?"

"It's not that hard Caroline."

"That one problem took up half the board!" she gazed at the paper of her best friend on her right. "How are you getting this?"

"It's really not that hard. I just got lost at the end," Bonnie Bennett erased the numbers she'd just written and gazed at Damon with viridian eyes. "Can you go over the last part again?"

"Sure," he smiled as he moved to the adjoining white board. He heard Caroline whispering behind him about how unfair it was that he was hot and a genius too and suppressed a laugh. He supposed he would be flattered that Caroline Forbes, one of the most popular girls in the whole school, thought so much of him if he hadn't already thought as much of himself. Modesty was not one of his strongest traits.

"It just looks like gibberish," Caroline huffed as she threw her pencil to the side. She pulled out a pack of gum and popped one fruity piece into her mouth. "I don't understand it at all."

"Well you would if you didn't spend half of class writing love letters to Klaus."

She flushed when he smirked.

"It's hard paying attention! Mr. Tanner doesn't even try to help us!"

"You also have to spend more than the allotted class time on it. Math takes a lot of practice."

"I don't have _time_ to practice! Cheer practice starts right after school and we practice for three hours a day! Katherine's like a drill sergeant!"

"Are you blaming my girlfriend for your D in Algebra?" he asked humorously. "Maybe you should quit the varsity team and go back to JV."

The blonde scoffed, "No thanks. JV cheer is a joke compared to what we do. I actually want to be on the team that qualifies for competitions—no offense Elena," she added quickly as she turned to her brunette friend on her right. She frowned but said nothing to defend her team.

"They're getting better," he offered while trying to hold back his laughter. "But we're getting off topic. Do the problem and use all the tricks I showed you."

Elena sat up straighter and pushed her paper towards the front of the table.

"Can you explain one of the steps again? I lost you in the middle."

Damon rolled his eyes internally but went to her side anyways. He found it amusing that Elena would willingly sit through two hours of tutoring, though she had a fairly high grade in Algebra I, just to be in his presence. While other girls at Mystic Falls High had done some pretty drastic things to get his attention, Elena's efforts were up there. She claimed that her father, newly elected Senator John Gilbert, wanted her to start practicing for the SAT test early and that she would benefit from having a tutor. Damon found it all amusing, even though his girlfriend found it irritating. It would've been even funnier if Elena hadn't been dating his younger brother.

"How'd you guys do?" he asked when he went back to the board. He checked the work of the two spacy boys and was surprised they actually managed to not only get the right answer but to follow all of his instructions of writing every step down. Caroline, as he suspected, had skipped many steps and wound up with a completely wrong answer. He looked over Bonnie's paper and smiled when he saw the correct answer boxed in boldly with her pink mechanical pencil.

"Nice work Bonnie," he praised. He tried to ignore the way his stomach dipped slightly when she gave him a beaming smile in return. Out of everyone he tutored, he'd taught Bonnie the longest and he admired how hard she worked. Upon transferring to Mystic Falls in the middle of the spring semester last year, she was assigned to him because of her less than stellar grades in Biology and Pre-Algebra. Though she was a freshman at the time, she was more dedicated to her studies than anyone he knew and he believed that deserved merit. And unlike her friend Caroline, she managed to handle being on the Varsity Cheer team and her academics with ease.

"You're getting better. You been doing all the practice problems I gave you?"

"Yeah. They've really been helping. I got a B- on the quiz today," her smile grew.

"Then that means I owe you Starbucks," he winked. "I'm proud of you Bonnie."

His stomach dipped again when she blushed lightly, "Thanks Damon. I wouldn't have passed if it weren't for you."

"Not true. You're a smart cookie," he grinned, making her flush a little more. He loved teasing her just to see that reaction.

"You're buying her Starbucks for passing a _quiz_?" Caroline scoffed indignantly. "I got a B- too!"

"But I didn't make a deal with you Caroline," he chuckled. "You're not even one of my regulars, although you need to be."

"I got an A," Elena stated proudly. "Do I get anything?"

"You're already good at math, so I don't even know why you're in here honestly," Damon chuckled as he went back to the board and erased the problem. He wrote down a similar problem with more fractions and parenthesis before turning back to his students. "I'm not going to help you with this one. I'll give you ten minutes to work it out and see what you get."

The five bent their heads simultaneously and the sound of pencil to paper filled the room. Damon made himself comfortable at Mr. Saltzman's desk, kicking his feet up near the picture of him and his wife. The door cracked open before it was pushed open all the way. He grinned when he saw Katherine and Enzo, his best friend since the seventh grade, smirking back.

"Still doing your good deed for the day, eh mate?" Enzo grinned as he pulled up a chair between Caroline and Elena, pushing noticeably closer to the blonde. "Leading the lost puppies to the light?"

"Something like that," he grinned before accepting a kiss from Katherine as she sat in his lap. He breathed in the flowery scent of her perfume and savored it.

"Hey you."

"Hey you," she gave him a sultry smile. "Almost done?"

"In another 20 minutes."

"Two hours is kind of long for a tutoring session, isn't it?"

"Not when you're close to failing," he ran his hands down her bare arms, the left strap of her black tank top falling to the side slightly. "It won't be any more than 20 minutes, promise."

Katherine pouted slightly but made herself comfortable on top of the desk. An indignant shriek grabbed their attention and they watched as Caroline pushed Enzo away from her.

"Haven't you heard of personal space?"

"Indeed. I believe I'm trying to be in yours."

"You're disgusting."

"I know," he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Caroline, focus," Damon shot Enzo an annoyed glare. His best friend's crush on the blonde was humorous most times but not when he was trying to help the blonde reach her junior year of high-school.

"Then tell him to _leave_. I can't concentrate with him here."

"No one else has a problem with my presence," he smirked at the other four sophomores. "Don't get bent out of shape love. I just want to see if you're doing the problem right."

"If I wanted _your_ help you'd be tutoring me," she snapped as she tugged her paper and her chair closer to Bonnie.

"As much as I want you guys to stay, you can't be in here during a session. Mr. Saltzman will write you guys up," Damon murmured as he traced patterns into Katherine's lower back.

"What Mr. Saltzman doesn't know won't hurt him," she smirked. "I haven't seen him around."

"Trust me, he is. He lurks in the shadows and comes out when you least expect it."

"Remind me why our history teacher is observing you tutor people in math?"

"Because Tanner is a lazy asshole," he laughed. "He thinks leading the football team to the championships four years in a row exempts him from actually caring about education."

"He didn't lead them anywhere. You did, my sexy quarterback," Katherine purred as she bent to kiss him again. Her breasts were close to falling out of her shirt and Damon wouldn't have minded if they did.

"Try telling him that," he licked his lips before pulling away. "But I still need you guys to go so they can concentrate."

"We're bored mate. I didn't think we'd be here for two hours while you divulged all the secrets of mathematics," Enzo sighed dramatically.

"Go watch the JV football practice."

"That ended ten minutes ago. They really are horrible, especially the left front lineman. Poor lad was crushed and thrown around like a little ragdoll."

"That's my _boyfriend_ you're talking about," Caroline growled.

"Is it? I had no idea Klaus played," Enzo grinned. "If he fumbles in the bedroom as much as he does on the field then I do feel so sorry for you."

Everyone laughed as Caroline shoved him hard enough to scoot him across his chair. Damon saw Bonnie looking away to hide her laughter and his stomach did that fluttering thing it did whenever he was around her. Sometimes he wondered if he was wrong for harboring a _slight, slight_ crush on the green-eyed sophomore. Then he thought crush was pushing it and settled for a strong attraction. Crush, to him, meant he wanted to date her and he certainly didn't want to be with her over being with Katherine Pierce, the hottest girl in the entire school.

It was a shallow thought but Damon really did love Katherine with all his heart. She wasn't his first girlfriend but she was the only one he stayed with longer than three months, his usual dating time frame. They'd been together since junior year; now as graduating seniors they were going to be off to Mississippi State together in the fall, he with his full-ride football scholarship. Damon wondered if he was making a mistake in staying with Katherine during a period he was supposed to be finding himself but he really wanted to make it work. And really, that college lifestyle wasn't for everyone.

"He wasn't _that_ terrible. He caught the ball a few times," Katherine reassured the irate blonde as she turned to her boyfriend. "I saw Stefan out there. I asked him if he was going to try out and he said he didn't have time because of soccer and everything. I told him he would if he didn't have a girlfriend that demanded so much of his attention."

Enzo chuckled when Katherine shot Elena a haughty smirk and the younger brunette only glared back. Damon put on slight smirk but inwardly rolled his eyes. As amusing as it was to watch Katherine belittle Elena every chance she got, he didn't want to hear about it later from his little brother.

"Stefan hates football. He'd always pussy out of playing when we were younger," Damon laughed as he stood up to kiss her. "But I really need you guys to go. I'll be done soon."

"Fine. We're going to the mall. Meet us there," she stood too. "I need to buy my graduation dress."

"Why do you need one when the bloody robe is going to cover it?" Enzo exasperated. "You women will find any excuse to spend money."

"Shut-up. It's not like you're buying it for me."

"No, my best mate is. That money could go towards his killer party after the graduation."

"Everyone say goodbye to Enzo and Katherine," Damon said loudly. They shot him a resigned look and Enzo gave Caroline one more salacious stare before they left.

"He's so ridiculous," Caroline muttered as she snatched her pencil. Bonnie giggled next to her as she picked up her own.

"You know he does that because he likes you. _A lot_."

"He should do himself a favor and stop. I have a boyfriend."

"Is discussing your relationship status going to help you understand math to pass the final?" Damon snapped their attention back to the board. The sheepish look Bonnie gave him almost made him feel guilty.

"Sorry," she sat up straighter in her chair and handed him her paper. "I think I did it right this time."

Damon took it from her and their fingers brushed. He tried not to let any reaction to that touch show as he looked her work over.

"You got it," he gave her an encouraging smile. "I think you'll make it to next year."

"I hope I can make it through Algebra II and Chemistry since you won't be here to help me," she grimaced.

"Well Ole Miss isn't that far away. If you need help, you can call me or shoot me an email. I promise I'll answer," he winked at her, enjoying the bashful expression that appeared.

"Really? That would be great," she breathed in relief.

"Me too! I'm taking the SAT and the ACT in the fall," Elena chirped. Damon was nearly startled as he had forgotten she was there.

"I'll make myself as available as I can to answer any questions you have," he went to the board and erased the evidence of their presence. "We've covered a lot today. Go home and do something fun so you can study hard tomorrow."

He erased the board, telling them goodbye as they left one by one. He noticed when Elena packed her things slower than everyone else and told Caroline and Bonnie to wait for her outside.

"What's up?" he asked when she approached him. He didn't look at her as he started packing his own materials back into his bag.

"I was wondering…well, my dad was wondering if maybe we could have some private sessions since the SATs are coming," she bit her lip. "I told him you were graduating and that you'd probably be busy but he still wanted to know. He said he'll pay you double what your pay is here."

"Tell him to call me," Damon zipped his bag and slipped one strap over his shoulder. "We can work something out. I'm surprised he wants you to start so early."

"Yeah, well, you know my dad. Always has to be ahead of the competition," Elena gave him a beaming smile and batted her long dark eyelashes. "Thanks."

"No problem."

They walked out together, Damon holding the door open for Elena like the gentleman his mother raised him to be. He saw Bonnie a ways from the door pressed against a much taller, darker-haired male who currently had one hand on her jean-clad ass. He couldn't deny that he was jealous of him; he'd fantasized about feeling on it for a while now.

"Hey Damon," Kol Mikaelson nodded at him. Damon nodded back, suddenly feeling annoyed. Kol Mikaelson, the co-captain of the Mystic Falls Swim Team, irritated the hell out of him. His cockiness, in Damon's opinion, was undeserved despite having females falling over him left and right. He and his twin sister Rebekah were two grades below him and he was grateful he was graduating so he wouldn't have to be associated. Since their families all ran in the same social circle of Mystic Fall's wealthy elite, he couldn't get much relief from them anywhere.

"Let's go guys," Elena called as she started down the hall towards the double doors. Bonnie sent Damon another smile and waved as she was led down the hall by the large arm wrapped around her shoulder. He waved back, eyes immediately falling to her swaying hips and the rhinestones shining off of her behind. He imagined what it looked like naked, how it would feel if he grabbed it—

His cellphone rang, interrupting that line of thought. He quickly answered Katherine's call as he started for his white Mustang parked in the front of the parking lot.

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><p>When he got home from the mall his mother immediately roped him into making the salad for dinner. After dropping off his bag in his room he went to the kitchen where his mother was preparing salmon, smothered potatoes and corn. Her blonde hair was pulled into an elegant bun that sat atop her head, a few loose pieces falling into her face as she put the salmon she prepared into a glass pan. An apron was comfortably tied around her waist, revealing her sundress showing off her freckled back.<p>

"How was school?" Miriam Salvatore gave him a beaming smile as he kissed her cheek.

"Fine. Same thing, different day."

"How many weeks left until graduation?"

"Two starting today," he grinned. She returned it and he could feel the genuine happiness radiating off of her.

"My little valedictorian. I can't wait to watch you blow everyone away with your speech."

"Me either," he grinned cheekily and she laughed.

He quickly threw the salad together and brought it to their smaller dining room. The chandler hanging from the ceiling reflected the light of the evening sun around the room, refracting it into rainbow colors and momentarily blinding him. Shutting the white silk curtains just slightly, he set the heavy ceramic bowl onto the glass before sitting across from his brother. He didn't look up as he typed swiftly on his iPhone.

"Sexting your girlfriend?" he smirked.

"No. I'm not freaky like you and Katherine," Stefan's eyebrow rose judgmentally.

"How is sexting being freaky?"

"Because anyone can see it. You know those pictures don't ever go away right?"

"So?" it was Damon's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Don't judge it until you try it Stefan."

"That's one thing I'm _never_ trying."

"You're only fifteen. You might change your mind one day."

Their mother entered their smaller dining room and their conversation ceased. She set a plate at each chair before she took a seat at one end of their smaller glass table.

"No phones at the table Stefan," she reminded with mirthful blue eyes as she reached for the salad. His thumbs quickly typed out another message before slipping it back into his pocket.

"Where's Dad?"

"He's running late at work," her eyes lost some of their shine and her voice grew tighter. "He said he'd be home soon.

Stefan rolled his eyes, "Right. And we'll see him for about three seconds for breakfast tomorrow."

"He's trying Stefan. He wants to be here, he really does," Miriam's voice grew softer, though Damon couldn't detect the sincerity of her words. Perhaps she didn't believe that herself.

"Whatever."

Damon understood his bitterness, although he didn't see the need for it. Their father was hardly present in their lives these days. Giuseppe still hadn't figured out how to properly balance work and family even after 18 years of having one. He hadn't realized that being the head of an investment company that endorsed city planners could take up so much of one's life.

Giuseppe Salvatore was a greedy man, Damon knew. He was ambitious, cunning and ruthless when it came to his money and Damon knew he was the same. His business associates were more important than family, a shallow trade-off but a true statement nonetheless. And while he hated that he wasn't present for all the football games or there to witness his son win three consecutive championships for the Mystic Falls Timberwolves, he would hate even more if they didn't get to live their life of luxury. Just because his father wasn't present didn't mean he didn't care. He loved them; he just had different ways of showing it.

"You want to know what I heard today?" Miriam leaned in as if she were telling a huge secret. "Elijah Mikaelson and Celeste DuBois' wedding is at the end of August. Right before everyone leaves for school."

"That's not news Mom," Damon laughed.

"Not to you. You were there when he proposed to her."

"And everyone knew about it afterwards. You're just out of the loop," he teased.

She winked, "Not on everything. Esther Mikaelson is just picky on what details she shares with the girls at lunch. But I will say that Celeste is a brave woman. She must truly love Elijah to want to put up with Esther for a mother-in-law."

"She's nice enough," Stefan frowned.

"She's…very set in her ways," Miriam shrugged. "She was showing the ladies some of the decorations she wanted to have at the wedding and they were very…over the top."

"All weddings are over the top Mom. Isn't that what women like?"

"Not all of us. Some of us just want to wear a skimpy dress and get married in the sand with no shoes so we can put money towards the honeymoon. But your grandmother wasn't having it and he had this grand Southern wedding where people he didn't even know he was related to showed up," she grimaced. "It was more of a spectacle than anything. I was glad when it was over."

Damon and Stefan laughed. Their mother was never one for tradition. Having been born in Canada and becoming a model at 17, she travelled nearly the entire world before she was 25. Tradition was not something she was used to but she put up with it for their father, who was raised with tradition all his life. Giuseppe was rigid and conservative and she was wild and free-spirited. The laws of attraction were definitely made specifically for his parents.

"Everything's always big in the South," Damon grinned with his fork in his mouth. "I guess Grandma didn't let you wear a skimpy dress either."

"No. She made we wear her wedding dress," she rolled her eyes. "That thing was awful. Be happy you don't have to go through the pain of squeezing into one."

Stefan's nose wrinkled, making her laugh.

"Why are they getting married right before college? That doesn't make sense at all," Stefan asked through a mouthful of salad. "Don't people break up faster when they get married young?"

"Not everyone. You can't assume they're going to break up because they're marrying at a younger age," Miriam reprimanded lightly as she took their empty salad plates to the kitchen.

"Is Celeste pregnant? Is that it?" Stefan leaned towards his brother when she was out of sight. "Tell me the truth."

"Even if she was, I wouldn't tell you a damn thing," Damon laughed. Stefan stared as if he didn't believe him.

"You mean they're getting married because they actually want to?"

"Yes Stefan. I know it's a hard concept for you to grasp but not everyone wants to be single when they go to college."

"I know I definitely don't. I just don't see any other good reason for them getting married now."

"Because they love each other? That's a really good reason to marry someone," Damon's eyebrow rose.

"I guess. I love Elena but I don't think I'd marry her right now."

Damon laughed out loud, "It's only been five months."

"So? Five months is a long time," he looked indignant. "Why is that funny?"

"You're too young and stupid to know what love is," he snickered. "But humor me; have you told her?"

"I tell her all the time. It makes her happy."

"It probably freaks her out."

"It doesn't," he snapped matter-of-factly. "She says it back."

"That doesn't mean anything. She could just be telling you so she doesn't hurt your feelings."

"She's not like that!" Stefan glared at him. "Elena's one of the sweetest people I know Damon. Stop trying to make her sound like a bitch."

"Language!" Miriam called as she walked out with the pan of salmon. "Damon, Elena is a very nice girl. Don't talk ill of her."

"I didn't say anything bad about her. I was only making the point that she might not want to hear him say I love you every five minutes."

"I don't!"

"Be nice to your brother. If he says he's in love with her then he's in love with her," she admonished as she served them both. Stefan smirked at him and he rolled his eyes.

"So sensitive Steffy," he gave him a taunting grin. Stefan's smirk disappeared.

They heard the front door open and all playful banter ceased. Moments later, Giuseppe walked through the door in his usual sharp designer suit and Italian leather shoes. He kissed his wife on the cheek when she stood to hug him and gave his two sons a verbal greeting before going into the kitchen and pouring himself a glass of Scotch.

"How was work honey?" Miriam asked as he sat down to his dinner.

"Fine. Busy since we're starting that project with that fast food chain. They want to put one in that trashy area across the train tracks so we had to negotiate the extra costs of putting in security cameras there. Then having extra background checks on people who apply is going to cost even more money, which I'm not happy about."

Damon rolled his eyes but kept them on his plate. It was just like is father to believe that anyone that was poorer than him was, as he called it, a hoodlum.

"Why would you need extra background checks?"

"You know the kinds of people that live across the tracks," Giuseppe laughed curtly. "I won't invest in a restaurant that I know would fail because of its location. And those people won't even have the money to afford the food here, so I think it all rather pointless."

Miriam sighed but didn't comment as she continued eating.

"So Damon, how's your speech coming?"

"Fine. Do you want to hear it?"

"I can't tonight son. I have a business conference with two other colleges after dinner. Maybe tomorrow."

"It's so inspirational. He said it for Stefan and I yesterday," Miriam gushed with a smile to her son. "It'll make you so proud Giuseppe, it really will."

"I said not tonight Miriam," he growled.

Damon saw his mother's expression go from warm to cold in a few seconds. He shot Stefan a look from across the table and his brother met his eyes with a weary glance of his own. They both felt the tension increase when Giuseppe set his glass down but no one dared to break the now heavy silence that settled over the table. The sound of forks scraping plates filled the void.

"So Stefan, when does your soccer practice start?" Miriam asked with a smiled that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"In August. They give us two months off."

"You'll have to give Damon a schedule of your soccer games so he can come home to watch you play. Hopefully none of them conflict with Damon's football games."

"They're at different times of the year. I should be able to make it. See how much you've improved, if at all," he gave Stefan a teasing look. He rolled his eyes.

"We're not buying him a plane ticket every time Stefan has a game," Giuseppe said gruffly. "That's a waste of money."

"That's ridiculous. Damon's been to every one of Stefan's games. I don't see why he should stop now because he's in college."

"He's going to have more things to worry about Miriam. He's not going to have time for this petty high-school crap anymore. Stefan will live if his brother isn't there to watch him play."

"Well someone needs to be there to watch him since you aren't," she finally snapped, losing her pleasant demeanor. "I can count the number of games you've been to on one hand Giuseppe. For _both_ of our sons."

"Should I apologize for working hard to support our sons playing sports?" he snapped back. "If it weren't for the money I make they wouldn't be playing anything at all!"

Damon sighed as he took a drink from his glass of water. His parent's arguing was nothing new to him but it was getting old to hear. No matter how his father protested, he was going to be present at Stefan's games, so he wondered why his father was trying to refute it. It was his tradition to be there, ever since he first took Stefan to soccer tryouts behind their father's back when he specifically said he wasn't allowed to play a sport that wasn't football. They'd both been grounded for a month but the look on his brother's face knowing he'd made the team was worth it. Not that he would ever admit that out loud.

"You know, it's about more than financial support," she threw her napkin down as she stood. "You're missing the best times of their life because you're always holed up in your office and you know what? You're going to regret it later on."

She hastily took her plate into the kitchen without another word. Damon heard her roughly throwing her food away and tossing the plate into the dish washer before she stormed to another part of the house.

"Christ. She's so damn dramatic," Giuseppe rolled his eyes as he finished off his Scotch. He passed his glass to Stefan and told him to pour him more before he started a conversation with Damon about football. The elder Salvatore hesitated when he saw the way Stefan glared at his father before doing as he was told. He may have liked being the favored son but there was something about the way his father treated Stefan like he was the step-son he was forced to get along with that made him a little uncomfortable.

When Stefan came back Giuseppe didn't even spare him a thank you, continuing to talk to Damon as if he were the only one in the room. The conversation carried on for the rest of dinner, with Stefan fuming at his plate. Once they were excused he was the first one up and he nearly ran for the kitchen with his plate. Damon watched him wash off the leftover food with a sigh.

"I'm still going to come see your games you know."

"Don't bother. It'd be a waste of money according to Dad," Stefan snapped as he shoved his plate into the dishwasher.

Before he could get another word in his brother took off for his room, reaching for his phone in his pocket. Damon couldn't resist the chuckle that escaped him as he washed his own plate. Stefan was so sensitive sometimes. It wasn't his fault that he was the golden boy of the family.

He followed Stefan's path to his own room, cringing at the way the floor shook from the loud base of rap music coming from his speakers. He picked up a few papers that had fallen off his desk as a result of the pounding sound and restacked them neatly. He took his iPhone from the desk and found he had a missed call from Katherine. When he dialed she picked up on the second ring.

"Hey."

"I…can you come pick me up?" her voice wavered, making the corners of his lips turn downward.

The tone of her voice made him frown, "What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you something," her soft voice wavered. Damon felt his heart race anxiously.

"Is everything okay?"

"Just come get me Day. Please."

"Okay," he hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. He grabbed his wallet before turning out his light and heading for his Mustang.

The drive to Katherine's house took less than five minutes since they lived in the same gated community. The Pierce mansion was the second biggest in the whole subdivision, his own home being the biggest. Her Bulgarian parents had brought the influence of their native land into the décor of their home and their green scenery, making it stand out from other homes in the South. To Damon, the almost Mediterranean style of the house and the lawn made it seem like it belonged on a beach in California.

He parked his car in the pebbled roundabout driveway, right in front of her front door. He knocked on one of the double brown doors that were imported from Italy custom made. A tall, leggy woman with her hair in an elegant bun answered the door and he gave her a wide smile.

"Damon! So good to see you," Katherine's mother kissed him on both cheeks as she pulled him inside. The blast of cold air felt good to Damon as he was already drenched in sweat from the humidity of the summer air.

"How have you been? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine," he sent her a charming smile. "I'm just here to pick Katherine up."

"Oh you just missed dinner! Gregor made his pork roast!"

They stopped in the sitting room area stocked with two expensive couches that were handmade in France. In back of one of the couches was a large portrait of Jesus on a crucifix. Two candles adorned both sides of the picture, giving it a more sacred feel.

Damon watched as she turned to the picture and made the sign of the cross before telling him to wait there. It was amusing to him to see Katherine's parents being devout Catholics while she rejected anything remotely religious. They hated their daughter's wild, rebellious nature and prayed that Damon would tame her and make her see pious reason if she was to become his wife someday. Church wasn't his thing either but they didn't know that.

Katherine came down wearing the same clothing he saw her in earlier. She kissed Damon on the cheek before walking to the car. Damon was unnerved at the silence and her brooding expression that didn't change even when she told him to drive.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere. I just can't be here."

He drove on the empty street and past the wrought-iron gates. They passed large green pastures and a couple old plantations that had been restored in contemplating silence. Damon's mind was racing as he wondered what could have upset his girlfriend so deeply. There was possibly nothing right now that could be going wrong for either one of them. They were both graduating in two weeks; they were going to the same college in the fall; their families were wealthy and they didn't have to worry about how they were going to be able to afford how to pay for it. Life was good for them.

He finally turned into the parking lot of a park a few miles from their school. A few teens hung out on the swings in front of them and a couple more near the streetlight. He turned the car off and turned the blasting Kid Cudi music down low.

"What's up?" he finally asked, the suspense killing him. Katherine wouldn't look at him and it was starting to make him worry.

"Kat?"

She took a deep breath and finally looked at him. Damon became more alarmed when he saw the tears in her brown eyes.

"What is it?" he said softly as he grabbed her hand. She covered her mouth briefly when her breath hitched.

"I'm sorry," she finally croaked with shaking shoulders. His brow furrowed.

"What for?"

She took a deep breath. "When you dropped me off I felt really sick. Nadia heard me and she was sitting with me and we were talking about why I felt like this for the past month and she…she said I might be pregnant. She had an extra test from the doctors s-so I took it and…it came up positive…"

The entire world fell from under him. Damon felt his body sag into the leather of his seat, his heart pounding. His fingernails dug into his palms when he thought he might lose his shit. He almost missed her saying how she took the test and it came back positive, but he could've figured that out by how miserable she sounded when she said it.

"Fuck," he swore under his breath. This wasn't supposed to happen to them! They were barely adults! He had no degree and he wouldn't be able to get a job to support his own child and _fucking hell_ this was the worst time for Katherine to drop this bomb. And he'd _always_ been adamant about using protection in the event of this happening. He racked his brain, trying to remember if they had hooked-up recently without it. But the even more pressing question on his mind was how the _fuck_ they were supposed to take care of a child when they were supposed to be going to school in a few months.

"Those tests aren't always accurate. You—we should make an appointment," he took her hand back. "We'll go to Planned Parenthood on the other side of the city so no one knows. We'll make the appointment under Nadia's name. Your sister's been pregnant before so—so no one will think twice."

"Nadia took the same test when she was and it was accurate when she went to the doctor. It's the most accurate test there is," Katherine's eyes finally landed on his and he was sure their expressions of fear were mirrored on each other's faces. "What're we going to do Day?"

The blue-eyed quarterback wanted to know the answer to that question too.

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Bonnie nibbled on her thumbnail worriedly as she called Damon for the sixth time and still received no answer. Her stomach twisted into knots when she caught his voicemail but she hung up instead of leaving a message. He was supposed to be back an hour ago, which could only mean that something had happened. Damon was never late.

She jumped when someone pounded on the front door of his apartment. Swallowing heavily, she leaned forward to try and see who through the window. It always made her nervous when people came to the door and she was the only one there. Mason, Tyler and Cami normally called to warn her if they were coming. Damon told her to ignore everyone else that came to the door. After everything that happened with Thierry, he made sure to keep her away from other members of the New Breeds.

The pounding resumed, this time with a voice accompanying it.

"Mason, are you there? It's Stefan!"

Bonnie's eyes widened and she flew to the door in seconds. She threw it open, heart jumping when she saw her classmate looking frantic. His voice caught in his throat.

"Bonnie?"

"Where's Damon?" she pulled him inside. "I thought he was going to meet you at the park?"

"He did…what're you doing here?"

"He didn't tell you about me?" she said softly. He shook his head.

"He didn't get to that before he was arrested."

The green-eyed brunette's delicate hands flew to her mouth as a gasp escaped her. She stumbled back to the leather couch and collapsed onto it. As Stefan watched her reaction, he began to understand just how dire of a situation this had become. And if he had really done the things he was accused of…

No. He wouldn't go there yet. He would talk to Damon before deciding what he was guilty of and what he wasn't. He deserved that much.

"Who…who arrested him?" her voice came out barely a whisper.

He grimaced, "Your father."

Bonnie had known as much. In the back of her head, she always knew that her father would catch him. Damon might have been good at avoiding the police but her father was even better at his job.

"Fuck," she ran her hands through her hair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"He said he was arrested for murder and selling heroin."

She took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart, her trembling hands disturbing her hair. This is _exactly_ why she told him to quit while he was ahead. He couldn't, because Marcel wouldn't let him, but in the end he should have listened to her because she knew her father and he always caught the people he pursued. But Marcel was intimidating and Damon, as threatening as he was, wouldn't dare go against the leader of the New Breeds. Not with as much power as he had on the streets.

"Are you and Damon...like a thing?" he asked with a furrowed brow. She nodded with a sad sigh.

"I know what you must think after everything with Elena but it's…it's really complicated."

"I suspected…but I was never sure," he murmured as he took a seat next to her. "How long?"

"A few months give or take."

This didn't surprise Stefan as much as it should've. And as much as he wanted to know about Bonnie and Damon and where his ex-girlfriend fit in the story, there were more pressing matters he needed to tend to first.

"Was Damon selling heroin Bonnie?"

"I…it's a long story Stefan," she said thickly, feeling a lump growing in her throat. "I don't know if I should tell you."

"Why not?"

"He didn't want you apart of this," she said softly. "He didn't want you to know anything because it would endanger you."

"A part of _what_?"

She bit her lip. Stefan grabbed her hand and she looked at him again.

"Bonnie, you have to tell me what he's done. I need to know," Stefan pleaded with her. "Was my brother selling drugs?"

The petite brunette loathed that she was put in this situation. She couldn't decide if she was angrier with Damon for being cocky enough to think he would never be caught or her father for staying on this case to the point of obsession to bring down the Mystic Falls Ripper. The nickname was nowhere near relevant to who Damon was but naturally she couldn't tell her father that. Nor could she tell him that there were very good reasons for his actions.

"Yes," she finally admitted.

"Did he…." she saw his Adam's apple visibly move as he swallowed. "Did he murder someone Bonnie?"

"It's not what you think Stefan—"

"Just tell me," he interrupted with that same pleading tone. With the way he was staring into her eyes, she knew he would be able to tell if she was lying. And she desperately wanted to lie, to protect his memory of the brother he'd grown up with and loved so much.

"Yes."

Stefan's breath hitched and he stood. Bonnie thought he was going to leave but he started pacing instead. She watched him for a long time, wondering how much she had just changed his life. Her phone buzzed, waking her out of the trance his movement put her in and her heart sank when she saw a text from Tyler. If she thought telling Stefan was hard, Tyler would be much worse to break the news to.

"I can't believe…Damon's not a murderer. My brother isn't a drug trafficking murderer," Stefan said weakly as he finally stopped. "Did he kill them because of the heroin?"

"No." It felt good to say the word truthfully. "It's…more complicated than that."

Stefan sat down again and put his head in his hands, raking his hands through his sandy dark-blonde hair. She felt terrible that he had to find out like this but she figured it was better than hearing it in court. Her heart sank at the thought. If they found enough evidence, there could be a trial and he could be convicted and sent away and Damon Salvatore was the last person that should be in prison.

"Tell me," he said finally as he raised his head.

"What?"

"Tell me everything. I want to know how Damon got caught up in this. I want to know why he…killed someone, and why he's selling drugs. I want to know everything Bonnie."

"I…I don't think that's a good idea Stefan—"

"There's no one here but me and you," his bluish-grey eyes were intense. "You can tell me."

Bonnie took another deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment of peace and clarity that she what she was about to do was the right thing. She feared she would completely ruin the relationship between the brothers and destroy any chance of them working out their differences. It was a silly thought, as she was not what came between them, but what if Stefan wanted nothing to do with him after this? Damon would pretend that he was fine with it but she knew it would be a lie.

"I'm afraid if I tell you that you'll hate him," she said honestly. "The things he's done…that's not who he is. He really wants to make things better with you."

"I can tell you right now that that would never happen," he said just as truthfully. "I know who he is. And I know I'll never hate him, despite everything. He's my brother."

The words were reassuring enough and Bonnie felt her heart sigh in relief. She sent a quick text to Tyler, took another long deep breath and started from the beginning.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Reviews are love :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the long wait! My laptop chord and I were separated! Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed and liked/alerted this story so far! I appreciate it :)**

**WARNINGS: none. The chapter starts on the same day in the past as the previous chapter and progresses from there.**

* * *

><p><em>May 13, 2010: 2 Weeks Before Graduation<em>

"She's such a smug bitch. I can't _wait_ until she graduates," Elena huffed as she threw herself on Bonnie's bed. "Who the hell does she think she is anyway?"

"Damon's girlfriend," Bonnie laughed as she slipped off her shirt and her Juicy Couture jeans. As Elena threw her Michael Kors sandals off her feet with the demeanor of a child having a tantrum, she hung her clothes so they wouldn't wrinkle.

"What the hell was with that comment she made about Stefan having more time for football if his girlfriend wasn't so _demanding_? He doesn't even like football," he spread her arms, disturbing the wrinkles of her Vince Camuto dress. "She doesn't know shit about my boyfriend or about me."

"Don't let her get to you," Bonnie murmured distractedly as she slipped into a pair of comfortable fuzzy shorts and a large T-shirt. If she was going to listen to Elena bitch over Katherine _again_ then she was going to be comfortable for it.

"I can't help it. She always knows what to say to piss me off, the little bitch," the brunette rolled over with a heavy sigh. "I don't know what Damon sees in her."

Absently, Bonnie wondered the same thing. Katherine was nice enough to her but she was shallow like the majority of the wealthy kids at Mystic Falls High. So was Damon but he was a little less vocal about it. They'd spent plenty of one-on-one time together due to tutoring and she couldn't recall anytime during their tutoring sessions where he'd been overly obnoxious about his wealth or his parents, which she couldn't say for the rest of the school and certainly not for her best friend.

"He never stands up to her."

"About what?"

"About being a total bitch to me! We've been friends forever, longer than he's even known Katherine, and he never defends me when she says shit in front of him!"

"She's his girlfriend Elena. What do you expect?" Bonnie rolled her eyes as she joined her on the bed. Elena sighed unhappily.

"He's going to find out if you keep doing this."

"Who's going to find out what?"

"Stefan's going to realize you're crushing hard on his brother."

"I'm _not_! I already told you guys that Damon and I are just friends. Our parents are close!"

Bonnie gave her a pointed look, "You always use that excuse."

"It's not an excuse. It's the truth," she flipped her long hair to one side and fixed her best friend with an annoyed look. "You and Caroline need to stop. I don't like him. If I did, I wouldn't be dating Stefan."

Bonnie held her tongue at that. Elena was one of her best friends but she'd noticed right away how manipulative she was. It was clear to her that she was using Stefan's feelings for her to get closer to his brother and it bothered her because she considered him a friend. From what Caroline had told her, Stefan had been in love with Elena since 5th grade and when he made the soccer team was when Elena decided to give him the time of day. It was sad, because Stefan was so sweet and sincere to everyone and he was so completely in love with Elena it melted her heart. She couldn't say the same for Elena. But she refused to get caught up in her boy drama. Not when she had her own to deal with.

"Besides, Stefan is way more romantic than Damon. He brought me a rose today," she grinned. "I never see Damon doing anything like that for Katherine."

Bonnie thought her head might explode if she heard Damon's name one more time. He seemed to be all anyone talked about these days; Damon getting a football scholarship to Mississippi State; Damon becoming valedictorian and beating out student president Sage Green, the known genius of their school; Damon Salvatore, the hottest piece of ass to ever grace the hallways of Mystic Falls High and from one of the richest families in the state; Damon this, Damon that. Everything was _always_ about Damon.

She could barely stand it.

Thankfully, her group of friends weren't as obsessed as Elena and the rest of the school's population. Her guy friends, Stefan included, seemed to be the only ones not trying to become the next Damon. And Caroline was probably the only girl in the entire Mystic Falls' female populace not drooling over him. Thinking about the blonde now made her frown as she thought about where she was and with whom.

As if Elena read her mind she asked, "Where is Caroline?"

"At Elijah's pre-graduation dinner with Klaus."

"Why aren't you there with Kol?"

"Because."

"Is that what you were talking about when you said you were fighting?"

"Yeah."

Her iPhone buzzed from the desk, indicating a text message. She took her time in getting it, and immediately wished she hadn't gotten up for it the next moment. Her lips turned down even more when she read Kol's text.

_Are u still mad at me?_

_What do you think_, she replied back hastily.

He didn't respond right away. She clicked her tongue before putting the black device down. Kol had told her two weeks ago that his parents were hosting a dinner in honor of Elijah's upcoming graduation and his wedding to Celeste. Two days before she was uninvited because there wouldn't be enough food according to Kol via his mother. This would have been fine with her if she hadn't overheard Klaus inviting Caroline the next day and stating there would be more than enough food to feed a small army.

"He told you not to come?" Elena asked sympathetically. Bonnie snorted.

"Something like that."

It was more of Kol siding with his parents once again and pushing her to the side to placate them. She knew exactly why she was uninvited and she didn't know if she was more upset at the reason or the fact that Kol lied about it.

It was enough for conservative, prejudiced Mikael Mikaelson that his second-eldest son Elijah was marrying a colored girl. He didn't want another son having jungle fever. What made it terrible was that her boyfriend didn't seem to understand that his father's dislike of her wasn't all in her head. The way he spoke to her, looked at her as if she weren't even worth his time were clear signs that he refused to see. She'd never experienced such blatant dislike before over something she couldn't help but she often forgot she wasn't in Los Angeles anymore.

Sometimes she wondered if she made a mistake in choosing to live with her father instead of going to live with her mother and her new lover in Australia. But she had wanted to stay with Grams and her Dad was so heart-broken by her mom's betrayal that she couldn't bear adding to it by leaving him. It hurt him more than it hurt her, she could honestly say. She had always known her mother wasn't the type to settle down for too long, even if she had responsibilities she should take care of. Grams had practically raised her since her dad worked long hours and her mom flitted in and out of her life. It was Grams who convinced her to give this place a chance despite the huge culture changes she was experiencing, often telling her to keep her head up and take it one day at a time and that it would get better one day.

Kol had been a part of the reason it became better. He was arrogant but charming, abrasive in a humorous way. She was annoyed he had the audacity to pursue her when she hadn't been going to the school yet two weeks but she had fallen for him anyway. Interracial relationships weren't anything new to her but she was weary of them here. Kol had looked like the type to not look at her twice but instead he hadn't left her alone. He didn't give a damn if people saw them together and she slowly opened up to the idea of him. Even her father had learned to tolerate him.

Meeting the rest of the Mikaelson family had been her first glimpse in to the prejudiced South she'd always heard about. His siblings were nice enough but his parents…they were a completely different story.

The phone buzzed against the desk.

_I said I was sorry. I don't know what else you want me to do._

_Admit that I'm right, _she inwardly seethed. She wanted him to admit that the strained greetings and forced hugs his parents gave her were a result of her not so crazy accusations. She wanted him to realize that the looks he received from both his parents were pleading ones to break up with her rather than encouraging their relationship. But it was something he had to realize on his own.

_Figure it out_, she texted back before putting her phone on the dock to charge.

"Is it about his parents again?" Elena asked in that tone that meant she wanted to know more. Bonnie couldn't give it to her.

"Kind of. C'mon."

She led the way out of her room, ending the conversation. Elena frowned but didn't comment as she followed.

To keep her friend from asking more questions Bonnie flipped on the TV. She scrolled through channels until she stopped at Jersey Shore. Her viridian eyes stared passively at the screen, not absorbing the drama taking place as she pretended to be interested. It was hard enough to make Kol understand her position and she didn't want to have to explain it to her friends. In her honest opinion, she didn't think they would ever understand where she was coming from.

"Girls? I made cookies," Grams called from the kitchen. Bonnie inhaled the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies and momentarily forgot about Kol. Elena was out of her seat before she could even put her feet on the ground.

"Your cookies are the best Grams," Elena sighed dreamily as she stuffed one of the cookies into her mouth. "You _have_ to give me the recipe."

"There is no recipe child. Just good old-fashioned baking from scratch and memory," the elderly woman chuckled. "Have as many as you want. I've got another batch coming."

Elena grinned giddily, making Bonnie laugh as she sat down. Being around Grams always made her feel better; Sheila Bennett was like a walking volume of knowledge and comfort and laughter. She always knew what to say to make her laugh or to cheer her up. And she always knew exactly when she needed cheering up. Grams was so insightful it made Bonnie wonder if she had a sixth sense.

"Where's Caroline?" she asked as she went back to stirring a pot on the stove. "The three of you are usually inseparable."

"She's at dinner with Klaus," Bonnie shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Where's Kol?"

"He's busy."

Sheila fixed her granddaughter with a stern look, her hand never stopping its stirring movements. Bonnie kept her eyes on the plate of cookies as she bit into one, the taste warming her mouth.

"Don't the four of you normally go out on dates together?"

"Yes." She really wished she'd stop asking questions.

"Hm," she shrugged as she turned back around, much to Bonnie's relief. "That's too bad. I'm making the chicken with teriyaki sauce he likes so much."

"That's my favorite too," Elena chirped. Bonnie had to smile at her friend's love of everything her grandmother made. Out of all her friends, Elena spent the most time at her house because she didn't want to be alone at hers. Her parents were always too be too busy for her and while she acted like it didn't bother her, Bonnie knew it did. In her world, money was more important than quality family time. In the Bennett household, the opposite was true.

"I know. I made it because I knew you would be here," Grams winked at her, making her laugh. Bonnie giggled as she popped another cookie into her mouth.

"Now don't tell your father I let you eat cookies before dinner. None of us want to hear him lecture about breaking the rules of the house," she turned to the girls. "He lets all that police work go to his head and he forgets that we're not criminals."

"We promise we won't tell," Bonnie said solemnly with another giggle. As she watched her grandmother cook and the smell of teriyaki chicken filled the room, she couldn't help but think that she was happy she wasn't at Elijah's dinner.

When Bonnie's father came home they quickly hid the evidence of their cookie binging. The two friends quickly set the table and greeted him with kisses and hugs before settling in for dinner. Bonnie forgot about Kol as she engaged with her family and found she didn't have to pretend to be happy about being brushed off by her boyfriend once more. At least at home she was allowed to be herself. At home, she wasn't the minority that had to watch herself.

Her good mood lasted even when she and her father took Elena home and her father allowed her to drive as practice for her upcoming driver's test. Kol had allowed her to practice in his brand new black Audi his parents bought him for his sixteenth birthday so she'd been getting better. It was easier driving in the car with a fellow teenager than a cop with serious anxiety.

"You've been quiet," Rudy stated when she parked in the driveway. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing Dad. I'm okay," she smiled. He wrapped one arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Is it boys?"

"Nah. Just tired from studying," she lied. Rudy hummed but asked no more questions. Bonnie appreciated that he didn't feel the need to pry. He was her strong, silent supporter parent and she loved that. Her Mom was the complete opposite and it grew to be too much sometimes.

"Go get some sleep," he said as they got out the car. His voice left no room for argument and she found herself complying readily. She dragged herself upstairs to her shower and allowed the warm water to wash the day's frustration and anger and hurt away. If Kol was going to be a dick, then she wasn't going to spend any more time thinking about him.

She towel dried her hair briefly, letting the damp strands fall over her shoulders before falling into her plush bed. She took her phone from the nightstand and smiled when she saw a text from Caroline.

_The dinner was SO BORING. You didn't miss anything, trust me._

She giggled and typed back, _Lol! Thanks for letting me know._

A message came seconds later.

_By the way, Kol was completely miserable without you here. After dinner he went and hid in his room for the rest of the night. Pedicures tomorrow after school? I made an appointment!_

Bonnie snorted at that. Caroline could be overdramatic sometimes so she truly wondered if that was the case. Then again, the blonde didn't even know they were fighting.

_Definitely_, she texted back before putting her phone on silent and setting it back in its place facedown. She rolled onto her side and drifted off to sleep in seconds, thankful she only had one more day to go before the weekend.

* * *

><p>She was nearly surprised at how easy it was to avoid Kol the next day at school. She hitched a ride from Caroline and Klaus, both of whom lived two streets over in gated communities, and was able to avoid him in English, the only class they had together. Sitting away from him wasn't odd there since they were seated in their small groups Mrs. Fell assigned them for the year and she happily hid beside Tyler Lockwood as they discussed things they liked and disliked about <em>How to Kill a Mockingbird<em>. She could feel his eyes on her through the whole class and tried harder to ignore him.

"You alright?" Tyler frowned when she looked above his head once, accidentally met Kol's gaze and hurriedly looked away again.

"Fine," she threw him a reassuring smile. He looked as if he didn't believe her but didn't push the subject. While she and Tyler were tentative friends from being in a couple classes together, she would never think about spilling her secrets to him.

Bonnie purposefully stayed behind to talk with Mrs. Fell after class about an assignment she didn't care about until she was certain Kol was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he wasn't waiting for him and texted Caroline that she was going to fix her history assignment for next class. Hiding in the library for lunch was easy enough as none of her friends ever went in there and she happily ate in silence. She made it through her next two classes without incident and later met with Caroline and Klaus in the parking lot.

"Where's Elena?" she frowned when she climbed into Klaus' car.

"I made the appointment for two," Caroline glanced at her with a guilty look as they took off down the street. "I didn't want to spend two more hours hearing about Damon and Katherine."

"You've noticed it too?" she asked dryly. Caroline shot her an incredulous look.

"You should have _heard_ her at lunch Bon! She sounded like she's completely in love with him! And Stefan didn't say _anything_!"

"We all know she is…except for Stefan," Klaus chuckled as he turned out of the school parking lot, his free hand on Caroline's leg. They passed by their massive gymnasium and large fields before they hit the subdivisions on the way into the city. Neat two-stories with beautifully pared lawns stood tall against trees that swayed in the slight humid breeze before skyscrapers and franchises took their place. Despite the wind, it was still unbearably hot. It was one of the many things Bonnie loathed about the South.

The nail shop they went to was Caroline's favorite. As she was a regular, the sweet owners treated her as if she were a queen. Bonnie thought this was more because of Klaus whipping out his credit card and giving her the most luxurious mani-pedi treatment that was available. She envied Caroline just a little for that.

Klaus parked his brand new Beamer by the curb in front of the shop. Caroline gave him a quick peck on the cheek before telling him a designated time to pick them up. Bonnie laughed when he rolled his eyes. She adored them and their relationship.

"Don't worry about paying. Klaus has it covered. Actually, Kol has it covered but he doesn't know it yet," she winked and Bonnie laughed. Caroline always knew what to say to make her feel better.

They were put in chairs right away and soon they were soaking their feet in mildly hot water. Bonnie flipped through a fashion magazine, half-listening as Caroline complained about the dinner last night.

"We met Rebekah's new boyfriend—not the guy she introduced us to at Amy Jones' party last month, no. _This_ guy is from that all boys prep school with the killer soccer team. Klaus' dad really didn't like him. You could tell by the way he talked to him."

_Sounds familiar_, she thought bitterly.

"And then, of course, they talked about Elijah and Celeste's wedding…Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson want them to wait until they graduate college to see if it's something they still want but they want to do it sooner. I don't see why they're in a rush unless she's pregnant."

"You think Elijah's only marrying her because of that?" she frowned slightly. "They look really in love to me."

"Not the reason he's marrying her, just the reason they're doing it so soon. Katherine said the same thing and that's her best friend," the blonde shrugged. "Anyways, why didn't you come? We were all invited."

"Actually I was uninvited. Kol and I had a fight."

"Seriously? What happened now?"

"He's just being a dick. I'm thinking about ending it," she said before she could stop herself. When the words left her lips she froze; she hadn't meant to say them out loud!

"No! What did he _do_?" Caroline angled her body so she could face her friend. "Is there another girl?"

"No, nothing like that," she sighed as she looked down at the magazine. The words looked like random ink marks on paper now that she couldn't focus on them.

"So? Spill Bonnie Bennett! You can't just say that and then not tell me!"

"I don't know…we've just been fighting a lot lately," she said lamely. "I don't think their parents like me, and every time I say something he gets really defensive."

The blonde's brows furrowed, "Why wouldn't they like you?"

Bonnie wished she could take back her words. She wanted to tell Caroline the truth but she didn't want to sway her opinion of Klaus's parents when they had been kind to her. Caroline was the type to defend her friends against anyone, even if they were wrong. The shy brunette didn't want to cause any more drama than was already present.

"I don't know. Maybe I offended them at some point," she shrugged with a helpless smile.

"I think you're wrong. Mrs. Mikaelson was asking me why you weren't there. She missed you," Caroline leaned over to lightly shove her shoulder. "Mr. Mikaelson only said hi to me but you know how he is. He's not much of a people person."

"That's true."

"Is that all the fight was about?"

"Pretty much."

"So why all the break-up talk?"

"Because it happens too much. I feel like we fight once a week now."

"Maybe you're taking some things he does too personally. We both know that Kol doesn't think sometimes. He's like Rebekah with her no brain to mouth filter, only he does stupid things instead of saying them. But they're twins so what do you expect right?"

Bonnie laughed. "You have no filter either."

"I have a better one than her. Rebekah does it to be mean, but we're getting off topic! You and Kol just need to have some alone time, talk out everything, say you forgive him and get to the hot make-up sex," Caroline's voice lowered towards the end so as to not alarm the other patrons. "Make-up sex is the best sex there is."

Bonnie laughed as she ventured to her favorite topic. The blonde loved to scream from the rooftops how many different positions and places in which she and Klaus had gotten down.

"You've had make-up sex with him, right?"

"Caroline!"

"What? It's an innocent question!"

Bonnie shook her head and looked back down at her magazine.

"Bonnie!" she whined. "Tell me!"

"Okay, fine. Yes, we have. Not something I'm happy about since it feels like we're always making-up."

Caroline gave a squeal that had her laughing again.

"But seriously, just talk to him. Tell him how you feel about the situation and why it's a big deal for you. Lay everything on the table. That's what you have to do with boys these days, otherwise they don't know what the hell is going on," she huffed. "I bet you'll feel better if you just talk to him. It gets pretty hard to ignore someone you'd rather be sexing."

"Caroline!"

The blonde giggled and she joined in soon after. Thankfully, she changed the topic to the upcoming graduation and all the parties they would be attending that evening. Since Mystic Falls High's graduation fell on a Thursday, parties were expected to last all weekend. Bonnie wasn't much of a partier but when the occasion called for it she knew how to let lose.

An hour later Klaus picked them up and paid for both their manicures and pedicures. The ride back was full of Caroline making plans with the rest of their girlfriends to hit the mall to start looking for party outfits while Klaus playfully rolled his eyes. When they reached her street, the emerald-eyed brunette felt her stomach dip when she saw the familiar black Audi parked in front of her house.

"He finally got his shit together," Klaus chuckled as he pulled into her driveway. "Kol was always the slower twin."

"Do you want to see him?" Caroline turned to face her. "I can go in with you."

"It's fine. You're right, we need to talk it out and move on," she sighed. She wasn't entirely certain of what she wanted to say to him but she was tired of being mad at him. Anger was exhausting and she'd rather be sexing Kol than fighting with him as Caroline stated.

She bid Klaus goodnight and kissed Caroline's cheek before watching them take off. Taking a deep breath, she fixed her hair that was starting to grow frizzy from the heat and stood tall as she entered through her mahogany front door and stopped at the entrance of the living room.

Her eyes landed on her father first and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at how unhappy he looked to be sitting there with Kol. Her boyfriend looked just as uncomfortable with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his dark-wash designer jeans and shoulders slumped as he stared at the basketball game on the flat-screen. When she made her presence known they turned immediately and relief washed over both of their faces.

"Hey baby," her father stood to give her a kiss on her forehead. "How was the nail shop?"

"Fine," she showed him her purple nails and he hummed in low approval.

"Looks nice."

He looked back at Kol briefly before lowering his head to her.

"Don't go easy on him."

"Okay Dad," she laughed as he walked into the kitchen. Her father's uncanny knack for knowing when she and Kol were fighting was almost as humorous as it was annoying.

By the time she had taken his seat on the couch, Kol was facing her with a pleading expression. She ignored him for a few moments as she tried to gather her thoughts but finally took pity and faced him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I was wrong."

"About what?"

He sighed, "C'mon Bonnie."

"Do you even know why I was angry?"

"Yes. And I shouldn't have done that. I know it was shady."

"Do you?" she asked quietly. "We keep having fights about similar things so I'm not so sure."

"Mom was complaining to me about how so many people were coming and how she didn't know if there would be enough food and then Dad got mad when I brought it up again, which is no excuse but that's what happened. He always gets mad at us for the bloody dumbest things."

She remained silent, giving him that silent judgment look that said he was going to have to try harder. He shook his head and looked at his feet.

"But my parents are no excuse for what I did. I talked to them afterwards. I told them you were my girl and you weren't going anywhere so they would just have to deal with it. I made Mom start crying," one corner of his lips raised slightly and she couldn't help her own smile. "My parents are difficult but…that's no excuse for me acting like a jackass. I'm sorry love, I really am."

He took her hand and kissed the back of it gently, warming her stomach. He laced their fingers together, his nearly covering her hand, and kissed each one of her tiny knuckles. As she watched him, she knew that she'd already forgiven him, even though she didn't want to admit it just yet. Her head screamed no but her heart sang otherwise. And she always followed the latter.

"You're going to have to make it up to me," she told him. He merely grinned.

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

><p>Mondays were normally terrible for most students at Mystic Falls High but there was an undoubtable excitement fluttering in the air as the second to last week of school started. Despite having to tutor for two hours, Bonnie found herself in marginally good spirits for the entire day. Kol had more than made up for their fight the rest of the weekend and it put her in such a good mood that not even Elena's complaints about Katherine insulting her before class could bring her down. Her thighs quivered and her stomach rolled as she remembered how Kol passionately fucked the rest of her anger out of her. Not to mention that tongue—<p>

"You're early," Damon noted as she sat down, interrupting her dirty thoughts. She looked at the clock and noticed that she was, indeed, five minutes early.

"Sorry. Mr. Saltzman let us out early."

"Its fine," he shrugged as he flipped his notebook open to a new page. "Let's get started."

Bonnie sighed as she pulled out her Algebra I textbook and turned to the section Mr. Tanner had gone over that day in class. For the most part, her sessions with Damon were boring and full of mathematical talk she neither cared about nor understood. Today, however, Damon seemed more distracted than usual. He lost his train of thought halfway through problems and he was constantly checking his cellphone. Bonnie wanted to know but not enough to ask.

When he had corrected himself for the third time on the same problem he set his pencil down and rubbed his face tiredly.

"Sorry. My head's not straight right now," he groaned.

"Its fine," she bit her lip. "Are you okay?"

He snorted behind his hands, spreading his fingers over his eyes to look through them.

"Just stressed about some things. Nothing that won't work itself out," he said, more to himself than to her. "Show me how you just did that problem."

She was a little startled at the abrupt change of subject but complied. Their session continued without any more interruptions on his end and two hours thankfully passed faster than she anticipated.

"I think Wednesday should be our last meeting. You take the final when?"

"Next Monday."

"You'll do fine Bennett. At least you'll do better than your friend Caroline," he smirked. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Elena and I are gonna help her study over the weekend."

"Good. She needs all the help she can get."

They walked out to the parking lot together, chatting idly about finals and last minute graduation plans. They stopped at the curb where Bonnie normally waited for Kol to pick her up after he was done with swim practice.

"You have a ride?"

"He should be on his way."

"Alright."

He looked as if he wanted to say more and she waited patiently.

"Did Stefan tell you I'm having a graduation party?"

She nodded, "He mentioned it. It sounds like it's only for people who actually graduated."

"It technically is but I told him he could bring a friend or two," he smirked. "You're allowed to come, if you don't mind be around a bunch of drunken 18-year-olds."

"Sounds really tempting," she said dryly, though her grin was sparkling. He chuckled.

"I'll even let you bring a friend."

"Even better," she laughed. "I'm honored you're personally inviting me."

"You should be Bennett. I don't invite just anyone," he winked. She felt her stomach dip a little at the action but he was waving good-bye and walking to his car before she could even think about it. A laugh escaped her as she thought about what Elena's reaction would when she told her what happened.

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

The police station was busy, nothing new for Mystic Falls. Damon fought not to smirk as police officers and civilians alike stared at him as if they had caught the wrong man as Rudy and his partner dragged him through the station to be booked. People seemed to recognize him and were stunned that he was in handcuffs. He could almost hear the questions in their minds and the disbelief that business tycoon Giuseppe Salvatore's son would do something _this_ bad.

He had to wait for a burly bald man to finish taking his mug shots before he could take his. Holding the plastic card in his hands he had to remember not to smile or even smirk as the lights flashed. He could feel the enraged eyes of Hopkins on him and he doubly fought to keep his mouth shut when all he wanted to do was tell him that he was going to be a pain in his ass if he wanted Bonnie in his life.

As he feared, they took his phone and the two blunts he rolled earlier to give to Stefan as a peace offering before throwing him in a chair that sat in front of a rickety old brown desk. The man behind it took a good look at him and choked on the gum he was chewing.

"Damon Salvatore?"

"The one and only," his smirk finally came out.

"The hell are you doing in here?"

"He's being charged with murder and drug possession," Rudy snapped next to him. "A double charge since we found marijuana in his pocket."

"I hope you boys enjoy those blunts. It's the best weed in town," Damon gave him a devilish grin and Rudy's anger rose a notch.

"You really are a cocky son-of-a-bitch for having been caught Salvatore."

"But I have yet to be charged. You still have to prove I'm guilty."

"I think the 50 grams of heroin we found at your apartment will be enough. You're looking at 5 years minimum right there."

"And the murder charge?" Damon's eyebrow rose. Rudy scowled at him but didn't comment.

After twenty minutes of fingerprinting he was taken to another room and stripped down for a full body search. His mind kept racing to his phone, wondering if Hopkins had gone through it like he knew he was dying to. He was going to be in for a rather rude awakening once he saw all the dirty things he'd sent to his daughter over the past few months. Thinking about some of those salacious texts made him cringe now that her father was about to read them. He would be lucky to see his trial.

"We have to put him in the cells on the other side of the building. He's a New Breed," the redhead officer said gruffly as they led him away to holding cells.

"Who's on the first side?"

"17th Block Crew."

"Christ," he grumbled as he dragged Damon to the holding cells on the opposite side of the jail. Three heavily tatted men were already inside, each one looking sinister in their own way. The officer threw the door open and undid the pinching handcuffs before lightly shoved Damon inside.

"Play nice," he smirked as he closed the door. Damon rolled his eyes before sitting on the corner of the bench at the back. He kept his eyes to his shoes, determined not to start anything. But his mind was too preoccupied with Bonnie to fathom it.

"What they got you for?" the man sharing his bench asked gruffly. He had tattoos that covered his face and beady eyes that looked like they could turn malicious at any moment.

"Drugs, murder, the usual," Damon shrugged. He chuckled.

"You don't look like no murderer."

Damon's smile turned dangerous.

"That's what he thought too."

"Why'd you do him in?"

The smile disappeared brusquely and anger clouded his face as he remembered. Thierry would have kept his life if only he'd heeded his warning and he'd warned him _many_ times. There were certain things he had no choice but to tolerate because of the gang but he'd crossed the line when he endangered people he personally felt responsible for; people that should have never gotten caught up and that he refused to let go down.

"He didn't give me a choice," he said cryptically. Tattoo face shrugged and sagged against the wall without another word. Damon kept his eyes to his feet, inspecting a scuff on the side of his boots as the events of that fateful night played in his head. The simple answer was much easier than the entire story, which he was certain he would be telling soon enough.

* * *

><p><em>May 27, 2010: Graduation Day<em>

"Damon smile!" Miriam cried as she snapped picture after picture of her two sons side by side. Giuseppe grumbled next to her about wanting to leave to beat the traffic but she ignored him.

"Now turn back to back. You two always used to do that when you were younger."

"Mom, seriously? This isn't a fashion show," Stefan groaned but conceded to his mother's wishes. Miriam continued snapping pictures until she was satisfied.

"Now Damon stay there and Katherine get in."

The perky brunette playfully shoved Stefan out the way to stand next to her boyfriend. Damon rolled his eyes as his mother spent another five minutes taking their pictures. His face was starting to hurt from smiling so much.

He heard a squeal from next to him and he had his arms full of Nadia screaming congratulations to both of them the next moment. Damon laughed as he hugged her back before handing her off to her sister. His smile fell slightly when he saw Nadia's hand go to Katherine's stomach discretely, a smile threatening to split her face. Katherine looked just as excited and he wished he could feel the same.

According to the doctor at Planned Parenthood, Katherine was two-and-a-half months pregnant and everything was fine. When asked about an abortion he was surprised and secretly disappointed when Katherine said she wanted to keep it. He felt guilty for wanting it but he didn't see how they were going to raise a child. And what would their parents say?

"Maybe we should get married before we leave. Then it won't be so scandalous when my stomach grows," Katherine had said as if she were discussing what she was wearing to school that day instead of a life changing decision.

Marriage was the only decision they had really. Katherine's family would disown her if she had a child out of wedlock and Damon didn't want that kind of guilt on his shoulders. But he couldn't say that he was happy about marrying her so soon, even if he had planned on it in the future.

What he dreaded more than his impending shotgun marriage was telling his parents about it. His father would undoubtedly be pissed. There was no way to avoid that reaction from him. And his mother…he didn't know how she would feel about it. She adored Katherine, but would she still if they became family so soon?

"Why so broody mate?" two hands landed heavily on his shoulders. Damon couldn't help his grin when he saw Enzo donning the same blue gown and cap with a golden tassel. "We just graduated and you look like it's the end of everything."

_If only you knew_.

"Just thinking about the party tonight."

"Ahh, the party that is going to make history. I'm rather looking forward to it myself," Enzo smirked. "I hear Caroline is coming with her crew."

"That probably includes Klaus," Damon laughed. "You're about to go to college and meet a bunch of hot chicks. Why are you so stuck on a sophomore?"

"She's like the one that got away," he sighed dramatically. "But tonight is my final chance to convince her to let me rock her world. Once I get in she'll never forget me mate."

"Wishful thinking," Damon chuckled as he slung an arm around Enzo's shoulders. "I think it's time to let her go."

"Alas, maybe it is."

"Damon!" Giuseppe barked. Damon rolled his eyes as he and Enzo followed his family out to the parking lot. He crammed into the backseat with Stefan and Enzo and they joined the parade of cars lined up to exit the school parking lot.

"About this party," Giuseppe started as he looked at them through the rear-view mirror. "Don't you dare go in my liquor cabinet. I bought all the alcohol you need."

"But your stuff is top notch. It would make for a most splendid evening if we opened a bottle or two," Enzo smirked. Giuseppe glared at him and he looked away quickly.

"It better be only adults at this party Damon. I don't want any kind of trouble coming out of this. I warned the police and they're willing to turn the other cheek for tonight."

"There won't be any kids. Stefan's going to a friend's house for the night."

When Stefan started to protest he elbowed his ribs hard and shot him a warning glare.

"Good," his father gave a satisfied nod. "I expect to be at the office late and your mother is going out with her friends. Our house better be standing when we get home."

Damon rolled his eyes, "It will be."

"I'm trusting you Damon. You've done some reckless things but I think you deserve this. Don't make me think otherwise."

"I won't."

When they made it home Giuseppe immediately left for his office, not even bothering to kiss his wife goodbye. Miriam looked unfazed, though Damon could see by the way her delicate hands curled into her summer dress that it angered her.

"I really don't like that he bought you alcohol. What will people say when their children come home from the party and know we supplied it to you?"

"That you're the coolest parents ever," Stefan grinned as he kissed her cheek. Miriam laughed and ruffled her son's hair.

"If you boys need me, I'll be in the room," she kissed Damon's cheek and then Enzo's. "Congratulations to both of you."

They followed her upstairs and watched as she walked briskly to the room she shared with Giuseppe and shut the door. Damon dragged Stefan into his room and shut the door quickly. Enzo leaned against it as if he were guarding it.

"I had to tell Dad you were leaving so I could have this party. He wouldn't hear about it otherwise," he cut off Stefan's question. "You're still allowed to come but only bring _your_ friends. No one else. Alright?"

Stefan nodded eagerly, making Enzo chuckle.

"Good," he ruffled his already mused hair. "You need to do something with this before people see you."

"It looks fine Damon," Stefan snapped. The graduates laughed at him before kicking him out.

Damon was nowhere near ready when people started knocking on his front door at seven that night. He was grateful his mother loved to entertain people and had spent the past two days making various food platters for people to dig into. Soon he could hear music wafting through the house and feel the base shake his bathroom floor as he decided how to do his hair. Piercing blue eyes smirked back at him as he mused his still damp hair in a fashion he knew would have people swooning.

"You spend too much time doing that," Enzo chuckled roughly as he stood over the other sink with a razor to his jaw.

"And you spend too much time doing that," Damon rubbed his own 5'oclock shadow. "You always have to look like a pretty boy."

"And you always try so hard not to be one."

Damon rolled his eyes before leaving the still steaming bathroom. He pulled on a black button down from his closet and black Italian loafers. When he heard a knock on the door he opened it, revealing Katherine on the other side in a tight black sequence dress and shiny black six-inch pumps. Her hair was more lustrous and shiny than usual and straightened so that it fell down her back in perfect layers.

"Damn," he whistled lowly as he looked her up and down appreciatively. She smirked as she posed for him against the door.

"I may be pregnant but I'm still hot," she winked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Very," he grinned as he kissed her glossed lips. She stole another one before pulling back.

"Why aren't you downstairs with all of your guests?"

"Because I wasn't presentable."

"I'd say you are," she gave him the same hungry look he'd given her seconds earlier. "Everyone's asking for you, so you better get going."

He sighed playfully, "I guess duty calls."

He offered his arm to her and she took it as she shut the door. They walked down the marbled staircase in synchrony, observing the dozens of newly graduated, boisterously drunk high-school graduates that were flooding his house. One person spotted him, then two, then five, and then people started cheering as they descended the last stair. Damon smirked as he took it all in.

Katherine waltzed through the crowd with him on his arm as if she were a queen. They were stopped many times by people congratulating them on their way to the bar and she took it in stride, never once faltering in her heels. Damon wondered how she did it without falling. He could already feel how sticky their expensive marble floor was and cringed when he thought of how his father would react.

By the time they made it to the back of the living room where the alcohol was set up, Damon could fathom a guess as to how drunk everyone was. By the majority of the half-drunk and empty bottles that littered one side of the table, he knew the majority of his class was well on their way to being hammered. Katherine poured him half a red cup of cheap Vodka and handed it to him.

"Cheers to us, the Golden Couple of Mystic Falls," she took another cup from the dwindling stack and raised it to his. He smirked and knocked it against hers before downing the bitter substance. It left a foul taste in his mouth and burned all the way down.

He continued knocking back shots as more people came to talk to him. Katherine excused herself to use the restroom with a kiss on the cheek and left him alone to deal with people he hardly knew telling him how beautiful his house was. When he reached his eighth shot of Vodka his head was buzzing pleasantly and he could ignore the smell of weed that suddenly hit his nose. His father would be furious tomorrow but he would deal with it then.

Stumbling throughout the crowd of hot bodies that were talking, dancing and drinking, he ran right into Elijah and Celeste. Both dressed impeccably well, though they reminded Damon of a couple in their thirties than high-school graduates.

"Damon. Excellent party," Elijah greeted with a firm handshake. Celeste gave him a kiss on both cheeks.

"I'm surprised your father let you do this."

"Me too," he grinned as they both laughed. "So when's the wedding?"

"In August. We'll be sending out invitations in July."

"I will definitely be there," he grinned as he squeezed both their arms before continuing on his way. He'd only taken five steps before he ran into his brother. Steadying himself, he winced when his drink of clear joined the stickiness on the floor near Stefan's shoes.

"Damon," his brother had his hands on both his shoulders. "Are you drunk?"

"Not quite," he grinned as he raised his cup to his lips to drink the rest. "Why aren't you?"

"Someone needs to be the responsible one."

"Can't be you. You're not even supposed to be here."

Stefan rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say. Have you seen Elena?"

"Nope," his lips popped. "Lost your girlfriend that quick eh?"

"She wanted to have a drink."

"I bet she did," he smirked cheekily. "Good luck finding her brother."

He needed to move before he told Stefan something he was certain he would regret. He got on his nerves like brothers normally did but he wasn't in the habit of fucking with his brother's head. He cared about Stefan's feelings too much to crush them, though he tried to tell himself not to.

He found himself in the kitchen next and belligerently yelled at the two boys raiding his refrigerator. They scattered so suddenly they dropped what they were holding and he laughed at the fear on their faces. The teenage billionaire leaned against the counter as if the action winded him and grinned when he found a bottle of Bourbon with a quarter of the amber liquid left. His father's stash was invaded after all.

"Hey!" someone bumped into his left side. His eyebrow rose when he saw Elena, all flushed and dazed with her pouty red lips and full wavy hair grinning at him.

"Stefan's looking for you."

"I told him I went to get a drink," she leaned against him a little too closely. "I told him I'd be right back."

"Then you should keep your word."

"Where's Katherine?" she batted her obscenely dark eyelashes at him. He shrugged one shoulder.

"Bathroom."

"I saw her heading upstairs."

"Maybe she's tired."

"Why would she be tired? Is she pregnant or something?"

"It's been a long day," Damon chuckled to hide his throat catching. "How much have you had?"

"Not nearly enough," she pressed closer to him, her head nearly leaning on his shoulder. "Wanna dance?"

"That's what you have Stefan for," he pushed her away gently and grabbed the bottle of Bourbon by the neck. He passed her without another word, sliding between two girls in tall heels and tight dresses quickly so she wouldn't catch him. He really needed to have a talk with his brother about his choice of girlfriends.

Going back through the living room he saw Bonnie with Caroline and Rebekah Mikaelson, Kol's twin sister, standing in the hallway. His eyes took in the way the skintight red dress she was wearing clung to her fit frame like second skin and he licked his lips. The way it shaped her ass made him want to grind on her but he was more of a gentleman than that. Caroline's purple body dress was no better on his imagination. Enzo would be excited.

He continued drinking as he made his way up the stairs and laughed to himself when he tripped on the top one. He managed to open his bedroom door without incident and nearly dropped his bottle at the sight of Katherine straddling Enzo on his bed, her dress hiked up high enough to see the yellow flower that pierced her naval. His pants were pulled haphazardly to his knees. He blinked as he flipped on the light switch, believing his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Damon," Katherine threw herself off of Enzo and struggled to pull her dress down as she wobbled in her heels. "This isn't—I swear this isn't what it looks like."

It occurred to him that he should say something, anything, to clarify that he was really seeing what he was seeing but something in him didn't want to. He wanted to deny that he'd just caught his girlfriend and his best friend in _his _bed. He wanted to close the door and go back to the party and pretend that his life didn't just change. He wanted so much not to be between feeling like throwing up and feeling like throwing his bottle at her head.

"Mate," Enzo had pulled his pants up and was standing by Katherine with a look of pure guilt. "Mate this isn't—"

"What it looks like? I think it is," Damon surprised even himself with the chuckle that left him. "It looks like you were fucking my girlfriend in my bed. The girl carrying my baby."

Katherine and Enzo shared a quick look before looking at the floor. Damon took one look at them and laughed loudly.

"A baby that's not even mine, is it?" he fixed his eyes on Katherine. Her lips trembled as he brought the bottle to his again. "_Is it_?"

"Damon—!"

"You don't even need to say it. I already know," he smirked darkly. "I already fucking know."

"Damon it _is_ yours—!"

"So is it just Enzo? Are there more? People on the football team? My friends? Juniors, _freshman_?" his voice grew with each accusation. "How many more people were you fucking in my bed for the past two years I was faithful to you?"

"None! This isn't even—I've never been with anyone other than you!" she cried as she approached him. He took a large step back, placing him half in the hallway and half in his room.

"I really find that hard to believe since I just caught you riding his dick."

"Damon please!" she begged. "Please baby let's talk about this!"

"How long were you guys fucking?" Damon asked Enzo as he shoved his girlfriend to the side when she tried to reach him. Enzo looked ill.

"C'mon _mate_. You can tell me how long you've been fucking my girlfriend. It's the least you could do!"

Katherine shot Enzo a panicked glare over his shoulder. His shoulders sagged as he stared at his drunk best friend that he was certain would be no longer by the end of the night.

"How _long_ Enzo?"

"Since January," he said it so quietly the pounding music from downstairs nearly drowned him out. Katherine's helpless stare turned furious.

"He's lying! This only just happened!" she shrieked. "Don't listen to him!"

"It's yours, isn't it?" he continued as if he didn't hear her, cold eyes boring into Enzo's like they saw through his soul. And he did see him, saw him for what he really was; a lying, cheating, whoring bastard that disguised himself as his best friend for years.

How he could've not realized that his own girlfriend wasn't off limits to someone that tried to sleep with everyone was beyond him.

The dip of Enzo's head was all the confirmation he needed. He laughed again as he stumbled out of the room and down the stairs, ignoring Enzo and Katherine calling his name. Their voices rang in his head and it only served to fuel his anger. How _dare_ they try to lie to him after he caught them red-handed? How dare they fuck in _his_ bed in _his_ house? And how could he be _such_ an idiot not to see this coming? How could this have blind sighted him the way it did? How could they scheme against him so that he'd raise a child that wasn't even his?

His anger reached a boiling point as he marchedto the entertainment room where Stefan's speakers and iPod were set up on the oak-wood table. He paused the song and flipped the lights on, making people groan with the brightness. He caught everyone's attention as he stood on the table.

"How're you guys doing?" he raised his bottle to the crowd and they cheered in response. Katherine and Enzo made it to the middle of the makeshift dance floor and he smirked.

"There's fucking booze in the back near the pool house, we've got beer pong in the garage, we've got a tennis court and a fucking swimming pool, and did I mention we had booze?" he smirked at the screams of approval. "We're going to get back to the party in just one minute. But first, I just want to take a moment and give a shout-out to two people in my life."

He hopped down from the table and sauntered towards Katherine, who looked ready to flee or to fight. Damon couldn't tell which one she wanted to do more.

"You all know my girlfriend Katherine right? And Enzo? We go way back, like second-grade status. Most of you guys know," he chuckled. "Give them a hand!"

Drunken cat-calls and light applause were heard throughout the room. Damon saw his brother standing in the entrance of the room with his friends and a furrowed brow and he smirked even more.

"Well they've got a pretty fucking big announcement? Who wants to know what the fuck it is?"

He laughed at the numerous shouts he got.

"Damon," Enzo reached over Katherine to grab his shoulder but he moved out of his reach.

"They're having a baby!" he cried with another swig of Bourbon. "My girlfriend and my best friend are having a baby! They've been fucking around behind my back for five months and they decided to pin the baby on me because they _knew_ I would marry her to save her sorry ass from embarrassment! Crazy, right?"

This time there was hardly applause. The room remained silent with the exception of whispers throughout the crowd. He caught Stefan's eyes again; this time they were as wide as dinner plates.

"I mean, I would've _never_ even thought that I would have to do a paternity test. Not on my girlfriend, the sweet, _loyal_ Catholic girl that has morals and a fucking soul. My girlfriend who claims that tonight is the first night that she decided to ride another man's dick, and my best friend's at that," he let out a cynical chuckle as he smirked at her. "How cliché of you Katherine."

The whispers grew louder. Everyone parted to form a somewhat sloppy circle around them and the whispers started immediately. Katherine and Enzo looked horrified as people gave them disbelieving looks and blatantly whispered things in front of them.

"Well I want to say congratulations," he raised his bottle to them in a mock toast. "Here's to a happy home and even happier children. Good luck with trying to raise them without funds. Did you guys know that Enzo's father is bankrupt? It makes total sense why they were going to pin the baby on me. She marries me, she gets some of my money. Great plan right?"

He grinned wickedly when he saw angry tears trailing down her face.

"I wonder what your dad's going to think about your bastard baby. I know Enzo can't even give you a ring, let alone marry you. Whatever are you going to do Kitty Kat?"

"Damon, stop it!" she hissed lowly. Enzo's expression was a cross between anger, embarrassment, guilt and desperation.

"But I'm just getting started! I still need to congratulate Enzo!" he clicked his tongue. "Where has the time gone? It feels like yesterday when we were pinky swearing bros before hoes and now here we are a decade later and you found a hoe to have your kids. I'm so damn proud of you."

"Damon, you made your point," Enzo growled through gritted teeth. "Can we please talk about this privately?"

The teen billionaire burst into loud peals of laughter. He doubled over and laughed so hard his former classmates thought he'd lost his mind. They parted as someone pushed through the crowd and allowed Stefan to appear by his brother's side.

"Damon," he whispered as he tried to remove the bottle from his hand. "You've had enough, don't you think?"

"No, I don't think I have. In fact, I don't think I've had _nearly_ enough," he snatched the bottle away and pushed Stefan back to put distance between them. He was a distorted figure in his vision and he figured he really should stop drinking. But that was the only thing keeping him from throttling Enzo or Katherine, whoever he could reach first.

"I bet it was your plan to frame me, wasn't it?" he snarled at Katherine, pointing at her with such force it made him wobble unsteadily. "I was your plan to a good life and you were just going to sit on your ass and fuck around and spend the money I worked my ass off for, weren't you? I would've been loyal to your cheating ass and none of our kids would've been mine."

Katherine let out a sob as she glared at him with all the hatred she could muster. Turning abruptly she fled from the room, shoving people aside in her path.

"Damon, stop," Stefan said firmly as he tried again to take the bottle back. "You've said enough."

"I have a few more things to say Stefan."

"No, you don't," he reached out but he side-stepped him.

"You'll get your turn when I'm done," he smirked playfully before approaching Enzo, meeting him face to face. The tension in the room grew exponentially as they stared at each other, one with a gaze of cold fury and betrayal and another of complete misery and remorse. Everyone in the room grew quiet as they waited for something to happen. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Damon tipped his bottle and poured the rest of the Bourbon onto Enzo's shiny black shoes. Gasps filled the room as everyone watched the amber join the rest of the spilled alcohol on the floor. He smirked when he looked up again and saw anger cloud his eyes.

"Enjoy my leftovers, _mate_," he hissed as he dropped the bottle and stormed out of the room.


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry this is so late! I've been super busy but I hope this makes up for it!**

**WARNINGS: derogatory language, possibly a little OOC-ness, alcohol use**

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Tyler Lockwood felt dread seeping into his stomach as he watched his uncle pace back and forth with his cellphone in his hand. Beside him, Lexi Branson fidgeted nervously. When she took his hand he immediately squeezed it back, glad that she was the one to initiate the move. He knew that whoever his uncle was on the phone with came with bad news.

"Okay. Yeah, thanks Stefan. Bye," Mason's arm fell to his side and he looked to the ceiling with a miserable glare.

"What happened?" Lexi finally asked.

"Damon got caught up. They took him to the station."

Tyler looked at the ground, certain that he would be sick. He saw this coming. Damon was slick but sometimes he was careless.

"What do they have him on?"

"Possession…and murder."

Tyler stood, unable to keep sitting still. Pushing his black, thick-rimmed glasses up his nose he paced by the couch once before Mason's hands were on his shoulders and stopping him.

"Don't freak out," he told him firmly. "It's gonna be fine Ty, trust me."

His voice was too buried in his throat for him to respond. Guilt and fear coursed through him and threatened to cut off his air supply.

"Tyler," his uncle's voice brought him out of his head. "Stop the guilt tripping. He didn't get caught up because of you."

"But the murder…that was supposed to be me Mason."

"Stefan said he was arrested for murdering Thierry. That means they don't know about the other one," Mason soothed. "I told you no one would ever know. We got rid of all the evidence."

He nodded and willed his panic away.

"How did they find out?"

"I don't know. Maybe he had a family member that was looking for him."

"Someone could have said something to the police."

"It could've been Marcel," Lexi said quietly.

"It wasn't," Mason exasperated. "I know you don't like him Lex but he wouldn't rat on one of his own."

"Marcel is a twisted, sneaky bastard that doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself! How do we know he didn't purposely plan that entire night and for Damon to be there to conveniently kill Thierry so he could take the fall for it? You were just telling me how Marcel was talking about removing Thierry as his second in command and then he ends up dead?"

"I don't think it was planned Lex," he murmured. "It wouldn't make sense."

"It does to me," her voice hitched as she covered her face. "All I know is that Damon did us a favor getting rid of that asshole. I almost wish he was still alive so I could beat his ass."

They smiled weakly.

"Damon just has to plead self-defense. It wouldn't be a lie."

"But we got rid of the body. They're going to ask why he didn't just call the police."

"Because they would've jumped to conclusions and arrested him the moment they got there! You know cops don't give two shits about people with gang affiliation! They wouldn't even ask him his side of the story!"

"They're not going to take that excuse."

"I know. They would never believe he killed him to save two innocent minors either," Lexi snorted bitterly.

The alarm for the oven went off and she cursed, remembering the chicken she was baking for their dinner. Tossing her hair in a loose bun she ran the six steps it took to get from their living room to their kitchen. The apartment was soon full of the smell of baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and green-beans, a new side dish Lexi had started making them eat as a way to make them healthier. It amused the Lockwood men as well as annoyed them that someone actually gave a damn about what they ate but Mason's girlfriend had always been a health freak.

The moment they'd sat down at their fading table there was a knock on the door. All three tensed, then immediately relaxed when they heard Bonnie's voice on the other side. Tyler opened the door for her and she threw her arms around him tightly.

"You okay?" she murmured when they pulled back. He nodded and shut the door behind her.

"No one's come by to ask questions or anything."

"Have you gone down there?" Lexi asked softly. Bonnie shook her head.

"My dad's the one who took him in."

"Shit," Mason breathed as he put his hands behind his head.

The green-eyed brunette nodded weakly as she dropped to the couch. The enormity of this situation was physically making her shoulders sag. It was amazing how everything had changed from this morning, when she and Damon were lounging lazily in bed with their hot chocolate and blueberry pancakes and her father believing that she was at Caroline's doing homework.

"Stefan said he was going to talk to his father, to see if he could get Damon a lawyer," she murmured. "He was there when he arrested him."

"Does he know the whole story?"

"Yes. Not all the details," she added quickly at Tyler's alarmed expression. "Just about Damon and our…relationship."

"And he wants to help him? Even after everything that went down with Elena?"

"He said it didn't matter."

Mason snorted, "Stefan's loyal to a damn fault. If my brother slept with my girlfriend _and_ filmed it I'd never talk to him again."

"You don't talk to your brother now," Lexi reminded dryly.

"Because he's a heartless son-of-a-bitch," he shook his head. "Damon's my boy but he really did some fucked up shit to his brother. Why would he help him after all that?"

"They're brothers. At the end of the day, they're going to protect each other. No girl is ever going to change that," Bonnie smiled softly. She found the way Damon was sensitive to his brother's feelings too adorable.

"Wish I had a brother like Stefan. When I got caught up Richard pretended I didn't exist. He didn't even come to my trial," Mason shook his head.

"We all know Richard is good at that. Pretending other people don't exist," Lexi's piercing green eyes shot to Tyler briefly. The younger Lockwood kept his eyes on his plate.

"Marcel's going to be pissed," Mason sighed. "I don't want to be the one to tell him. Damon was his best dealer."

"Then don't. Marcel isn't going to do shit anyways," Lexi said vehemently. "You're all loyal to him but that does not mean he's going to be loyal to you."

"Lex, he does care—"

"The hell he does! He only cares because he won't be around to earn him money! He could care less about Damon and the rest of us! He doesn't even care about his own girlfriend who's done _everything_ for him! You're a means to an end Mason, nothing more."

They glared at each other briefly before Mason hung his head.

"I have to tell him so we know what to do."

"What if he has Damon killed because he thinks he'll snitch?" Tyler asked worriedly. Bonnie's heart leapt into her throat.

"He wouldn't. We should be more concerned with keeping him out of prison," Mason sighed as he glanced at Bonnie. "What're you going to do about your father?"

She shook her head helplessly.

"I…I really don't know. I didn't think this would happen so fast," she covered her face. "I'm not even going to be able to warn him about it. He's not going to see it coming and it's going to break his heart."

"Do you think there's a possibility that he could be lenient with him if he knew?"

"No. He'd probably try to get him a life sentence without parole," Bonnie laughed humorlessly. "When it comes to good cop bad cop my dad is always the hard-ass that wants the longest sentences for all of his criminals."

"If Damon tells the truth then your father will have to understand," Tyler said softly. "Maybe he'll think differently if he knew he saved your life."

"But Damon's not going to give up anyone else that was there that night," Mason sighed. "He'd never incriminate anyone like that."

"Then let me talk to the police," Tyler insisted. "I'll tell them what happened that night. I'll—"

"No Tyler," Lexi cut him off immediately with a stern glare. "If you tell them you were there they're going to find a way to pin everything on you."

"Why?"

"I'm a convicted felon and you're my nephew," Mason said lowly. "They already have an opinion of you and they'll do everything to criminalize you. If there's a way to keep someone as popular as Damon out of prison then you can believe it'll happen. And if Marcel finds out you're talking to cops willingly it'll piss him off."

"But—"

"They're right Ty," Bonnie said gently. "Damon has privileges that we don't. I know he wouldn't want you anywhere near the police anyway."

"We can't just let him take the fall for this! He didn't even do anything wrong!" Tyler cried. "We can at least call the anonymous hotline and leave them a tip or _something_, right?"

"I know you want to help him Tyler but we can't right now," Lexi put a soothing hand on his arm. "If we talk to the police we might only be making it worse."

"Or better," he protested.

"Stefan is supposed to call me tomorrow with news. We can decide then what to do," Bonnie murmured.

Tyler rubbed his hands over his head in clear distress. All he wanted was to keep his friend out of prison. He wanted to tell them that they were wrong, that the police had a duty to protect the people but that didn't include people with offenses already. People like him didn't have the luxury of relying on the police for anything.

"Ty, we're only trying to protect you," Mason murmured as he watched his nephew push his remaining dinner around on his plate dejectedly. "Damon wouldn't want you to get caught up. Not after everything we've done to keep you out of it."

"I know," his voice was barely audible.

Bonnie covered her exhausted face and rocked back and forth on the couch for a moment as she pulled Damon's oversized sweater around her petite frame. There were faint traces of marijuana and the Hugo Boss cologne that he'd bought just because she said it was her favorite. She couldn't help but smile when she remembered the night she'd confessed that tidbit of information; the night that everything between them changed.

* * *

><p><em>May 27, 2010: Graduation Day<em>

Bonnie sighed miserably as she brought the bottle of watermelon flavored Smirnoff to her lips again. Pulling back and swallowing, she noticed that she had already drunk half it and she was already starting to feel it as she sat with her feet in the deep end of the Salvatore's swimming pool.

Her phone rang for the sixth time in ten minutes. When she saw Kol's name her lip curled and she pushed the red button to ignore him. The phone buzzed again she threw it in the grass where she'd thrown her Gucci heels. If he couldn't take a hint then that wasn't her problem. She was _tired_ of always having to give him hints because he couldn't seem to realize when he was messing up. So she decided she was done; done with Kol and his family with their backwards Southern beliefs; done with all his excuses and pathetic attempts to explain himself; just done, done, done.

She thought she told him as such when they were screaming at each other on the way to the party but that apparently didn't mean anything to him. Her phone went off again, this time the ringtone Caroline chose for herself mingling with the rest of the boisterous rap playing from the house and she gave an exasperated sigh. She couldn't look at Caroline because then she would cry and Caroline, bless her heart, would talk her into forgiving him because she thought it would fix everything. Bonnie would listen to her, forgive Kol, and they would repeat the cycle all over again. Something needed to change, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. She knew herself, and it would only be a matter of time before she was tired of being angry and lonely and she'd forgive him.

"No," she told herself firmly. "Not this time. We're done."

Lying on her back, she reached her arms over her head and exhaled noisily. The stars above were bright like the full moon, the canvass of black they rested on helping them shine. Taking her index finger, she traced the moon and stars with hazy vision. Some time passed before she heard footsteps coming in her direction. She turned her head and frowned when she couldn't immediately tell who it was. Blinking hard, she sat up and immediately swayed towards the pool water.

"Whoa!"

A hand grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her hard, dragging her across the grass and staining her dress. Bonnie yelped as she was pulled and wrenched away from them, turning around hastily to see who interrupted her pity party.

"What the hell?" she snapped angrily as she stumbled to her feet. She blinked when she came face to face with a disheveled Damon Salvatore.

"Thought you were gonna fall. Sorry," he said looking anything but. He took another swig from the bottle of Whiskey he was holding and grinned. "Bonnie Bennett. I didn't think you'd show."

"Yeah…what're you doing out here?"

Damon looked around with a laugh, "This is my house. I can go where I want."

"I just meant your party is in there," she gestured towards the house. He shrugged and took another sip as he blatantly looked her up and down.

"What're you doing out here?"

"Hiding," Bonnie snorted as she sat back down and reached for her bottle of Vodka. "What about you?"

"Avoiding," he joined her. "Tonight has been one of the worst nights of my life."

"You just graduated from high-school. Tell me how your life could possibly suck right now," she rolled her eyes.

"How about walking in on your girlfriend and best friend," he said sardonically. She spit out the swallow of Vodka she took.

"_What_?"

"Yes, you heard right. Katherine and Enzo gettin it on in my fucking bed. I'll give them props for keeping it a secret for so long though. That does take skill. Or maybe I'm just a fucking idiot. Probably both."

"Katherine and _Enzo_?" she repeated. "But he's into Caroline!"

"I'm sure he is. He was into a lot of girls, my ex being one of them."

"Wow," Bonnie said after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry Damon. That really sucks."

"At least you didn't witness my meltdown in front of my entire class," he raised his bottle to her with a sarcastic smirk. "Enzo was right about this party being legendary."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"I called them on their shit in front of everyone; I basically made myself look like an idiot because I admitted I had no idea about them; I told them about Katherine's pregnancy; I even poured the rest of my father's very expensive, very imported Bourbon on his shoes. It was _really_ bad."

"Sounds like a bad waste of alcohol," she giggled before she could stop it. Damon cracked a smile.

"So why are you out here boozing by yourself?"

"Because my boyfriend…my _ex_ is an asshole too. Looks like we have something in common."

"I'll drink to that," he lifted his bottle to meet hers and they made brief contact before they were drinking out of them deeply. Now that she was on her way to having a bad hangover the next morning, the drink didn't taste so terrible. Damon finished the rest of his whisky and threw the bottle somewhere behind him.

"So what'd he do?"

"Same old. His parents say some derogatory remark towards me because I'm darker than everyone else they know, he doesn't say anything to defend me, we fight, I break-up with him and then we make up in like a week or two."

Damon whistled lowly, "I think that needs a drink."

Bonnie smiled as she took her mouthful.

"That should probably be it for me," she sighed as she sat the bottle down imprudently. It wobbled for a moment before she righted it. When she faced Damon again, his eyes were transfixed on her before they both burst out into laughter.

"So if it keeps happening, why make-up?"

"I don't know. I love him," she shrugged. Damon laughed.

"Doesn't sound like he feels the same."

"I know," she sighed, feeling tears come to her eyes. Damon's smile disappeared when he saw her expression.

"Sorry. That was fucked up," he said quietly. She shook her head.

"No, you're right," she sighed. "It's just…hard to accept. But people are set in their ways here."

"Very," he agreed. "If his parents are set in hating you and he's set on agreeing with them then he doesn't need to be set in having you as his girlfriend."

"I keep trying to tell myself that. But he's been my first everything. I don't want to let that go," she admitted as she ducked her head in shame. Damon nudged her shoulder.

"You can do so much better than Kol fucking Mikaelson. The guy's an obnoxious prick for no good reason and he always smells like chlorine. Do you really want to be with a guy that smells like a public swimming pool?"

Despite her sadness, Bonnie giggled, "He's the captain of the swim team Damon."

"And I was the quarterback of a football team. I never smelled like it," he snorted, smiling as she laughed harder.

"Kol is nothing but a punk. Trust me when I say it won't be the end of the world if you don't get back together."

"Thanks Damon. I needed to hear that," she sighed with a smile and wiped away her fallen tear.

"No problem Bennett. Any other problems you have, academic or otherwise, I've got your back," he waggled his eyebrows at her. "Now that I'm single, I can tell you that you look sexy as fuck in that dress."

She burst into loud laughter, "You're crazy!"

"I'm truthful. If Kol can't handle you, I know I sure as hell can. I could open your eyes to a new world."

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass. And Elena would probably get really mad," she added as an afterthought. She had the feeling she was supposed to keep that a secret, but considering everyone knew anyway she supposed it didn't matter. If it came back to bite her later she would chalk it up to being drunk.

"Oh Elena. You should really tell your friend that I'm not interested," Damon reproved lightly.

"Oh no. I'm _not_ getting caught in the middle of that," Bonnie shook her head. "I've already tried talking to her like a good friend and she doesn't want to listen. If she wants to embarrass herself that's _her_ problem."

"Harsh," Damon chuckled.

"Well someone has to be truthful here. We all know she's only with Stefan because she can't be with you, which sounds terrible because Stefan is really sweet and he's been in love with her since 5th grade from what Caroline's said and it's like she can't see past you to even acknowledge it and it gets on my nerves. No offense."

"None taken," he shrugged. "Have you told him?"

She shook her head, "I don't know how. How do you tell someone the person they've loved all their life wants to be with their brother?"

"Easy. You open your mouth and you say, 'Stefan, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Elena doesn't want you. She wants your stud of a brother, but can you blame her?'"

"You're awful," she laughed. "Doesn't it make you feel bad that she likes you more than him?"

She was surprised when he nodded.

"Elena's always been like that. She wouldn't give Stefan the time of day when we were younger unless I was around," he sighed. "This is going to sound bad but she's not the first person to choose me over my brother."

"What do you mean?"

"My father likes me better and he doesn't care if Stefan knows it. He hates him for it. I think he might hate me for it," he finished quietly as he looked at the grass.

"Stefan would never hate you," Bonnie frowned. "He looks up to you a lot."

She frowned when he didn't respond.

"Hey," Bonnie scooted closer, inhaling the amazing scent of his cologne. Without meaning to she fell into his side and she giggled near his armpit.

"What're you doing?" he chuckled as he helped her sit up.

"You smell really good," she grinned at him.

"Thanks," he laughed. "Armani. Supposed to be really in this season."

"You should get Hugo Boss. He's in every season."

"I'll keep that in mind."

He leaned his head down and buried his nose in her neck. Bonnie squeaked out a laugh when he let his lips linger on her skin.

"You smell good too," he gave her a smoldering stare. She laughed at his antics despite her heart pounding by his sudden closeness. Why was she just now realizing how beautiful his eyes were?

"Thanks."

Silence overtook them. Bonnie lay on her back again and stared at the stars once more. They were brighter here than they were in California, but that could be because of the never-ending cloud of smog that hovered over the city.

"I could never see the stars like this in L.A.," she murmured. "They're so pretty here."

"You miss it?"

"Sometimes. People are better at pretending to be more accepting out there."

"Katherine always talks—_talked_—about going out there. She'd fit in with them," Damon snorted. "She's a superficial bitch that only cares about money and looks."

"She'd fit right in," Bonnie said, and then slapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry!"

"Why? You're right," Damon chuckled as he lay beside her. "I've been there a few times. Great place to party but I don't think I'd live there."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't seem ideal for family life. There's always too much going on and not enough quiet. I'd feel like we wouldn't have any privacy since the houses are built so close together."

"Not all of them. There are mansions all over the place and they have privacy. I'm sure you could afford one of those fancy beach front properties."

"The beach would be nice. But I can get that in the South for a much cheaper price," Damon grinned. "Is it true everyone smokes weed there?"

"Pretty much," she opened one eye and saw him smirking. "That's the real reason you want to go out there, isn't it?"

"You caught me. My dream is to become a stoner and surf all day," he chuckled.

"I knew it," she grinned back. A piece of hair fell into her eyes and he pushed it back behind her ear, fingers lingering on her cheek for just a moment.

"I didn't know your eyes were green," he murmured. "They're pretty."

Bonnie smiled widely, this time to cover the shock she felt that he would say something like that to her.

"Most people think they're fake," she said softly. He shook his head.

"Then most people are clueless. Pretty eyes for a pretty girl."

The way he was staring at her would've unnerved her more if she was sober. But she was drunk and lonely and if Damon Salvatore wanted to compliment her and call her pretty then she wasn't going to stop him.

"Bonnie! Seriously where _are_ you?"

Bonnie immediately shot into a sitting position when she heard Caroline's voice. Damon sat up when she got to her feet and located her shoes.

"What?"

"I don't want them to find me," she swayed as she slid on the six-inch pumps. Damon caught her as she stumbled in the grass when her heel sunk into it. "I'm still hiding."

"C'mon," Damon took her hand and led her in the direction of the pool house on the opposite side of the massive swimming pool. They moved behind the trees and flower beds as Caroline and Elena's voices grew closer. The alcohol was making her sluggish and uncoordinated and she stumbled and tripped over rocks and wood chips and fell right into Damon, making him hit a tree.

"You okay?"

"These shoes were a bad idea," she slurred as she leaned against him, too tired to move. "I can't feel my toes."

"Beauty is pain," he chuckled as he maneuvered them completely behind the large birch tree. His hand fell to her ass as he pulled her closer and instead of removing it he pressed her body closer to his. Bonnie laughed against his neck.

"What're you doing?"

"Admiring. I've wanted to do this for a long time."

"You wanted to grab my ass?"

He hummed in agreement, "Now seems like a good time since we're both drunk."

As if to further his point, his other hand slipped down and he squeezed blatantly. Bonnie supposed she should feel violated that Damon was, essentially, taking advantage of her drunkenness but it felt good to have someone want her. And Damon was sexy; she might have not drooled over him publically like everyone else but that didn't mean she didn't admire from afar. There were definitely worse people who could be doing this to her right now.

The hand that wasn't crushed between both their chests slid up to his shoulder and squeezed. She shivered when she felt his head dip and lips press against her neck, then slide up to kiss under her jaw. Her body fell into his more and his hands seemed permanently glued to her behind as his lips skimmed her overheated skin.

"She seriously disappeared!" they heard Caroline huff, her voice slurring slightly as she and Elena staggered around the pool. They swayed so much they came too close to the edge many times. "Where the hell do you think she is?"

"With Kol somewhere making-up," Elena sighed heavily.

"He better drop her off at my house when he's done."

The sound of their heels hitting the concrete started to wander away from their hiding spot but neither of them noticed. She turned her head to say something to him and he covered her mouth with his own. A surprised moan left her as he switched their positions and he was holding her against the tree. Her eyes shut and she pulled him closer, almost frantically, as she opened her mouth to let their tongues meet. Explosions of heat and lust erupted in her body and she pressed as close as she could against him. He tasted like whisky but this didn't stop her.

A sudden hissing sound followed by the arrival of the sprinklers tore them apart. Bonnie screamed as she ran for the dry land, her heels dangling in her hand. Damon pulled her to the other side of the pool house where they were less noticeable.

"Are you okay?" he laughed as he watched her inspect her hair. She gave him an annoyed glare.

"My hair is gonna be a mess," she grumbled as she dropped her heels unceremoniously. "And this dress was expensive."

"You could always take it off. Let it dry," he gave her a suggestive look. She gave him an annoyed glare that turned into another fit of giggles.

"I bet you would like that."

"That's why I suggested it."

"We're so drunk," she sighed as she leaned against the wall, feeling out of breath. The alcohol was working overtime now. She felt so inept that she felt as if she were out of her own body. The loss of control over her actions felt both freeing and frightening.

"You okay?" Damon asked as he came to lean against the wall with her. She nodded.

"I shouldn't have drunk so much. I'm starting to regret it."

He chuckled. "No regrets. Just live in the moment."

"Is that what you were doing when you kissed me?"

"That was me taking advantage of the fact that we're both drunk. And single."

Her stomach fluttered. She'd be lying to herself if she said she wasn't attracted to Damon but she never envisioned kissing him either. Or that it would be as great as it was. Or that she wanted more. _God_ did she want more.

"You are so obvious," she giggled to cover up the surge of lust that overtook her. "I'm totally your rebound from Katherine."

He grinned, "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You've never shown an interest in me until _you_ became single and _I_ became single in the same night."

"You're very wrong Ms. Bennett. Kol isn't the only one with good tastes," he smirked at her surprised expression. "You've clearly never seen your ass in jeans."

Bonnie doubled over in laughter.

"I never knew you looked at my ass."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he put his hands on either side of her head and trapped her against the wall. "I think it's time we got to know each other a little better."

The words sent heat through her, his predatory gaze making her knees weak and her panties wet. She wanted to take him up on his offer but it felt…wrong somehow. She didn't do one night stands. She _wasn't_ that girl. But she was finding Damon Salvatore could change that very quickly if he tried hard enough. And she would be okay with it.

He leaned against the wall, his hand coming to her side and stroking lightly. Bonnie's side tingled but she was concentrated on his face coming closer. Their lips met again heatedly. Her stomach rolled unpleasantly as she pulled him as close as she could and he covered her body with his heavy one and she could feel his hardened abs through his tight black shirt. His hand slid from her side to her thigh and he lifted her leg up and around his waist as he surged between her legs. She groaned from the contact and he smirked against her lips.

Bonnie's mind was spinning with desire as she pulled him as close as she could. Her leg wrapped tighter around him and she clawed at his shirt. If they ended up doing it against the wall she couldn't say she would mind.

_You're __**not**__ that girl!_

Her conscious screaming at her followed by sudden nausea had her pushing Damon away before she was heaving everything she'd eaten that day onto the ground. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion with her stomach now burning with pain and the regret of drinking all that liquor came much too soon. She winced as she threw up again, almost involuntarily, and wondered if she completely ruined the moment.

"Sorry," she rasped without looking at him. To her surprise and relief, Damon laughed.

"Someone can't hold their liquor," he bent to her level. "I guess the pity party is done."

"Shut-up."

He pulled her to her feet with one hand.

"C'mon boozy. Let's get you somewhere comfortable."

She swayed into him and he caught her, both of them falling into the wall. Her gravelly laugh made him smile.

"I am _not_ boozy," she slurred.

"Uh-huh," he chuckled again as he grabbed her shoes and clutch and proceeded to half-carry, half-drag her to the pool house. Bonnie was thankful no one was inside.

He sat her by the toilet and set her accessories beside her. Pausing for a moment and watching as she reached for it, he lifted up the seat and stuck her head inside just in time for her to throw up some more. He sat beside her and moved her hair from her sweaty face.

"You don't have to be in here," she protested feebly when she could speak again.

"Well I don't want you drowning in my toilet," he stood. "I'll go get water. Don't go anywhere."

Bonnie snorted at his teasing. She was beyond mortified that Damon Salvatore had to babysit her because she couldn't hold her liquor. All she wanted to do that night was forget that Kol Mikaelson existed and she was paying for that decision more than she felt she should.

After another round with the toilet she found enough strength to pull her phone out of her matching red clutch. She skimmed through messages of Elena, Caroline, Kol and even Stefan asking where she was before Caroline texting her that she and Klaus were leaving. She checked the time the message was sent at 12:45 and groaned when she saw it was now 1:30. Caroline was definitely long gone and she definitely had no way home. She let out a frustrated groan.

"Bonnie?"

Something cold hit her leg: bottled water. Grasping one she guzzled half of it down desperately, feeling more dehydrated when she had consumed it than before.

"Slow down before you throw it all up."

She glared at him and continued to do the opposite. Moments later she was regretting the decision as her face was back in the porcelain bowl and the water she just drank joined the rest of her stomach contents.

He laughed as he resumed his earlier task of holding her hair back, "I told you."

Bonnie couldn't even formulate a response. When she was finally done she flushed the toilet and leaned against the wall next to him limply.

"Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks," she held up the bottle.

"No problem."

Silence took over them. Bonnie chose to look at the floor then at Damon. His eyes were fixated on her as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle.

"What?"

"Nothing," he smirked. "Your dress is falling down."

She looked down and saw that one side of her strapless black bra was showing. Hastily, she pulled it up and brought her hair over her shoulders to cover it.

"If it still needs to dry—"

"I'm good," she interrupted quickly.

He chuckled, "Whatever you say."

"You didn't have to do all that, you know," she mumbled in shame. "I'm sure you have better things you could be doing than taking care of me."

"I'm still avoiding people," he reminded. "It's not the first time I've seen a hot babe like this. Don't worry about it."

"It's embarrassing!" she whined. "I don't ever drink! I barely go to parties because my dad's such a hard-ass and he knows when you're drunk just by looking at you."

"Is your dad a cop or something?"

She nodded, "He just got assigned to the new Gang and Drug Prevention Task Force. In L.A. he worked with the homicide unit."

"Wow. Being your boyfriend must be hard."

Her eyes narrowed, "Why would you say that?"

"Your dad is a cop. Can't imagine he'd make it easy. I'm sure you already make it hard enough," he chuckled. She bristled at his words.

"What're you saying? Because I don't give it up so fast like Katherine and everyone else that I'm some kind of bitchy prude?" she snapped.

"I meant because you look like you have standards and don't take anyone's shit," the humor was gone from his voice. She immediately felt guilty at bringing up his ex. It was _way too soon_ to go there.

"I'm sorry," she broke the silence that overtook them. "I didn't mean to sound like…that."

"A bitchy prude?" he asked humorously and she cracked a smile. "You're right about not being like Katherine though. You're way too humble and genuine to be anything like her."

She felt confused, "Thank you?"

"I'm complimenting you Bennett. Don't get suspicious," he chuckled.

Her face felt hot as she looked at her hands. She told herself it was the alcohol and nothing to do with what Damon was saying. She used his shoulder and the wall to stand, just noticing the cold tile against her feet.

"What're you doing?"

"I want to lay down. Preferably not on the floor of your bathroom."

She waited for him to stand so he could guide her. The bedroom was smaller than a normal house, as she would expect, but still a pretty good size with a four poster wrought iron bed and fluffy pillows covered with red cases. The fur throw draped over the comforter looked so warm and inviting that she dropped down onto it without any regard to how her dress would shift in the back. Damon lay beside her but she was too busy relishing in the soft fur to be surprised.

"This feels _amazing_," she purred.

"So do the sheets. Trust me," he wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

"Please don't tell me I'm lying on cum stains."

"Of course not. What kind of person do you think I am?" he gasped while batting his eyelashes. "But really, they're clean. I promise."

She laughed again, feeling much better now that she wasn't sick and lying on something better than the ground. They talked as she sobered up, and Bonnie found she was quite happy he stayed. Damon was proving not only to be great company, she was forgetting about Kol like she wanted.

When she felt well enough she went to the bathroom on her own and brushed her teeth, Damon having directed her to spare toothbrushes and toothpaste. She brushed them twice and utilized the mouthwash three times before she finally felt satisfied. She walked back to the room and was caught off guard by a shirtless Damon lying on his back.

Her mouth instantly went dry; he was all chiseled abs from years of working out and football and his arms were muscular and defined, as was the distinct pelvic muscles that disappeared into his jeans. It just further highlighted that Damon Salvatore was the hottest thing she'd ever seen.

"Like something you see Bon-Bon?"

She just realized that he was smirking at her, which meant he caught her blatantly checking him out.

"Don't flatter yourself," she huffed with faux annoyance as she lay down.

"I don't need to. You do it enough for me," he grinned cheekily. She laughed despite the cockiness.

"Why'd you take it off?"

He shrugged, "I was hot."

Something told her it was a lie but she let it go. 'Drunk in Love' could be heard blasting from the main house and Bonnie immediately lamented at still feeling a little too woozy to get up and dance.

"I like this song," she pouted as she faced Damon.

"I do too."

His comment surprised her. "I didn't know you were a Beyoncé fan."

"Who isn't?" his eyebrow rose. "They call her _Queen_ _Bey_ for a reason."

Bonnie snorted, "You actually call her that?"

"Not out loud. I'm not in the habit of embarrassing myself."

"This is classic. Damon Salvatore, star football player, wealthy Salvatore heir and Beyoncé's number one fan," she snickered. He shoved her playfully.

"Don't tell anyone my secret now Bennett. You're the only one who knows."

"I'll take it to the grave," she giggled. He smirked.

"Now that I've shared a secret with you, share one with me."

"Like what?"

"Something you've never told anyone else."

She looked at the ceiling for a moment in thought.

"I hate being an only child sometimes," she said finally.

"Why?"

"It gets lonely. My mom's not around and my Dad's always working. All I have is Grams. So I try to keep myself busy."

Damon frowned, "Where's your Mom?"

"She moved to Australia with her boyfriend a year before I came here. It really devastated my Dad so he threw himself into his work. He was more upset about her leaving than I was."

"You don't get along with her?"

"I don't really know her."

He didn't ask any more questions and she was thankful. She hadn't meant to divulge personal information on that level. Elena and Caroline barely knew about the things she just told Damon.

"My dad is pretty absent too. He would rather spend time with his business acquaintances than his own family."

She rolled onto her side to face him as he used his elbow to sit up. "He always uses the excuse that he has to work a lot to give us a good life. I just don't think he likes being around us. His father was never around for him so he doesn't know how to be one."

"I'm sorry," she murmured sadly. He shrugged.

"It doesn't really bother me anymore. I just know about having an absent parent."

"It kind of sucks."

"If you let it."

'Drunk in Love' was replaced by another vulgar rap song. Bonnie and Damon didn't notice as the topic drifted from absentee parents to friends to anything they could talk about. They hardly realized when the music was stopped in the middle of a song. Damon sat up with a frown when he saw someone lurking outside the window of the pool house.

"Damon? Where the hell are you?"

"Fuck!" he hissed when he heard his father. Bonnie sat up in alarm.

"Is that your Dad?"

"I didn't think he'd be back tonight."

They ran into the bathroom and he shut the door before turning off the lights. He pulled her into the narrow closet near the shower and pulled the door shut gently. Bonnie's breath hitched when she felt her back hit shelves and could still feel Damon's shirtless chest pressing into her. Not even she could deny the dirty thoughts that were racing in her head from his close proximity.

"Damon—"

"Shh," he breathed. His warm breath hit her face and her throat closed even more. A second later light flooded the bathroom as Giuseppe entered it.

"Damon!" he screamed furiously as he turned off the light and stormed through the rest of the pool house. When they heard the front door slam they both let out a sigh of relief. Bonnie tipped her head back and let out a laugh.

"Your dad is terrifying."

"Tell me about it," Damon laughed. She made to push the door open but he trapped with his muscled arms against the shelves. Bonnie swallowed heavily as his face came closer and closer until their lips were touching lightly. It quickly turned heated like the other ones before them.

Bonnie wondered how they made it back into the bedroom still attached. She stared at the ceiling through foggy vision as he kissed down her neck, eyes fluttering shut when his hand snaked up her thigh to her lace panties and rubbed her through them. She pushed herself towards him, arching her back in the process. His wandering hands found the zipper of her dress and pulled it down quickly before pulling it off.

"Are you okay with this?" he panted when he decided to breathe. It was odd to her that he would ask her now when she was practically naked but the look in his eyes told her he needed to know. And she was surprised to find that she _was_ okay with it. She wanted him more than anyone else before.

"Yes," she breathed. Damon gave her a small smile before their lips met again.

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Damon was abruptly awoken from his light sleep when the door to the holding cell opened. Hopkins stormed in, yanked him up by his shirt and slammed him into the wall. The enraged look on his face told him everything he needed to know.

"You sick piece of shit!" Rudy roared in his face. "Why do you have my daughter's personal number in your phone?"

Damon fought not to smirk.

"What number?"

"Don't play fucking stupid Salvatore! She _called_ you two hours ago!" he slammed him into the wall again. "Why the _fuck_ is she calling you?"

This time, Damon couldn't help the smugness shining through.

"I think you know why Rudy."

In a split second the officer's hands were gone from his shirt and wrapped around his throat. Three officers in the office barged into the cell and pulled the infuriated cop away from him, leaving him smirking against the wall.

"You're fucking _dead_ Salvatore! You're _dead_!" he bellowed as he was forcibly dragged from the room. "I'll have you charged with rape too you disgusting son-of-a-bitch! You're never going to see the light of day again!"

Hopkins' red-headed partner closed the door to the cell again. The other three prisoners were staring at Damon in disgusted curiosity as he sat back down.

"I'm _not_ a rapist," he snapped before they could ask. Tatted man chuckled.

"You fucked his daughter?"

Damon sighed, "She's my girlfriend. It's complicated."

"Damn. You got a death wish," a buff black man with bulging arms snorted.

"You're fucked man. He's going to do everything to throw you in the pen," Tatted man chuckled heartily. "You a bold son-of-a-bitch."

"Like I said, it's complicated."

"Her pussy must be fire if you'd risk gettin thrown in here for her."

His words brought images of this morning to mind and he let out a small smirk.

"She must be the main bitch."

"Only," he corrected quietly. He snorted.

"Only? She must be fine as fuck."

"You have no idea," Damon smirked this time. If there was one thing he loved doing, it was bragging about his girl. Bonnie Bennett, in his opinion, was every man's dream and _he_ was the lucky one to have her.

"I seen a few white boys with black bitches but not a lot. They not pretty like you though, they don't got money either. You come from a good family, don't ya?"

"I did," he corrected again. "My Dad practically disowned me."

"Cuz you was with the black girl?"

"Nah, he doesn't know. It's more complicated than that."

"Damn man. Everything is complicated with you," he chuckled.

Damon snorted, knowing it was true. His life was so different from a year ago that it was nearly ridiculous. He was so naïve back then about everything that he felt like a new man now; a darker, more cynical version of himself but new nonetheless.

"Salvatore," the officer that did his fingerprints appeared at the cell door. "C'mon."

Sighing, Damon followed him out of the cell and through the police station until they reached the interrogation rooms. He sat on the hard wooden chair and leaned on his hands, wondering what else would be in store for him this evening.

* * *

><p><em>May 28 2010: Day After Graduation<em>

Damon woke that morning sweating, groggy and with a pounding headache. He shoved the blankets off his naked body and found minimal relief from the early morning heat that was shining through the window of his pool house. Sitting up, he stretched his back and his arms before looking to his left for his bed partner and frowned when she wasn't there.

"Bonnie?" he called, leaning forward to hear for movement in the bathroom. Finding his black jeans, he pulled them on as he walked to the bathroom. The door was open and the light was off. He searched the entire pool house before concluding that Bonnie was gone.

"Damn," he grumbled as his morning wood bulged through his jeans. He didn't know why he expected her to stay. They'd both been going through break-ups and they needed a rebound for the night. He'd had plenty of one night stands to know how the process worked. But he'd never spent more than half the night talking with his hook-ups either. He'd told Bonnie things that he hadn't even talked to Katherine about but that could have been because of the alcohol. He felt like they made a connection, but she was gone so what did it matter?

He found his shirt before exiting the pool house. The sun was already beating down on his back on the short walk to the main house. It did nothing to help his headache and he was grateful when he opened the door that led to the kitchen and was hit by cold air.

He stopped in alarm when he heard his mother screaming. Then he heard his father yelling back and the rage was clear in his voice. Heart in his throat, he ran through the kitchen into the living room. His panic rose when he saw Stefan leaning against the wall near the door with his arms folded and sobs leaving his chest.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Giuseppe roared as he took one of his mother's designer suitcases and threw it out of the open front door. "You good-for-nothing _whore_! Get the _hell_ out!"

"Giuseppe stop it!" Miriam shrieked with fury as she shoved him. "This is what I can't stand! Look at what you're doing!"

The back of his hand cracked across her face like a whip cracking in the air. Damon watched in shock as she fell to the ground, as Stefan screamed something and ran to her, as Giuseppe continued cursing her and throwing her suitcases out the door. His heart pounded wildly as the scene of his family falling apart at the seams and all hell breaking loose. Was it just yesterday that they were all sitting happily side by side at his graduation?

"What the hell is going on?" he finally managed to spit out. Three heads swiveled to him and looked genuinely shocked to see him.

"Your mother is a lying cheating whore!" Giuseppe spat as he threw her last suitcase out. "She's been seeing that black piece of shit for nearly a year!"

His head spun, "Wh-What?"

"Damon, I am…_so_ sorry," she whimpered as she stood. Damon had to pause just to take in how unkempt she looked, as if she'd been awake all night. "Baby—"

"Don't even try gaining sympathy from them! You leave them be and take your Negro loving ass out of this house!"

"_Dad_!" Stefan cried out. Damon stared at him completely floored. He'd _never_ heard his father say something so spiteful before.

"It's alright Stefan," Miriam said with a wavering voice. She grabbed him in a tight hug and allowed him to sob into her shoulder. Giuseppe grabbed her arm roughly and all but tossed her out the door. Stefan let out another cry as he ran after his mother and was shoved back by Giuseppe.

"What're you _doing_?" he screamed.

"You're staying right here Stefan," he barked. Damon finally snapped out of his stupor.

"Are you crazy?" Damon retorted as he ran to his brother's side. "You just threw our mom out the house!"

"A mother that was leaving us for her black boy-toy!" he spat. "When I came home last night you want to know what she was doing? Packing! She was going to leave during the party so she wouldn't have to tell you what she was doing!"

Damon looked past Giuseppe and at his mother's tear-streaked face, heart sinking when she didn't try to deny his claims.

"Is that true?" he croaked hoarsely. Miriam brought her hands to her mouth as she started sobbing loudly.

"Damon, you have to understand," she pleaded with him. "I've been so, _so_ miserable these past few months…a-and—"

"You _ungrateful_, spiteful bitch! I've worked my ass off to give you _everything_!" Giuseppe roared. "_You've_ been miserable? _I've_ been miserable dealing with your bullshit but you don't see me walking out on my children!"

Damon felt nauseated when she started blubbering apologies and declarations of love. He glanced at his younger brother and was surprised to see his expression go from upset to blank.

"I _swear_ this has nothing to do with you!" Miriam wailed as she stepped closer to them. "Damon I love you both _so_ much, more than you'll ever know!"

"But you were going to leave us," Stefan's voice had changed from tearful to oddly detached. "You were going to leave without saying a word."

"No, no baby—!"

"For Christ's sake Miriam, don't lie to the boy! Own up to your lies for once!" Giuseppe snapped. "Tell them you love that black piece of shit more than your own children! Tell them you would rather spend their days getting her brains fucked out by some _beast_ than being a mother to _her children_!"

"You _hateful_ bastard!" she shrieked as she gave him the most hateful glare she could. Damon was suddenly thrown back to last night when he was outing Katherine and Enzo and she'd given him the same look. The parallel between then and now was so close it made him sick.

Without a word he stumbled upstairs amid more screams and shouts and locked himself in his bedroom. One serious jolt in his stomach was all it took to send him flying to the toilet and emptying the contents of it. He felt a sense of déjà vu to just last night when Bonnie was where he was now. Did that even happen? Was his mother home for that or was she gone with her lover?

His mind spun; too many things were happening at once. Too many things he didn't anticipate on happening. Too many things that he hadn't prepared himself for. He didn't realize when he graduated that _everything_ would change.

"Fuck," he breathed as his head hit the cabinets. If _this_ was what he had to look forward to for adulthood, then he wanted to stop it before it began. Because at this rate, he wasn't sure he would survive it.

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are love! Thank you for reading!<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Thank you thank you thank you for all the reviews/alerts/favorites! I love you all!**

**WARNINGS: none**

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Bonnie wiped tears from her face as she drove on the highway back to her side of town. Her hands shook so much she was surprised she could still drive. Lexi and Tyler wanted her to stay but she couldn't hide with them forever. She still had to go home and face her father, which she wasn't at all ready to do. And she had to do it without Damon.

She sniffed heavily before letting out another sob. She missed him so much and it had only been a few hours. He was only supposed to go meet with Stefan after he left Marcel's, talk to him for an hour or two and then meet up with her later. They were supposed to have an _Arrow_ marathon with wine and popcorn and the banana nut bread she'd made yesterday. This wasn't supposed to be happening, not now. She wasn't ready to face possibly the rest of her life without him in it.

She pulled off to the side of the road as she broke down into loud cries. Wrapping her arms around herself, she rocked back and forth as she let out everything she'd been holding in. If Damon got convicted, which would more than likely happen, it would destroy all the plans they had made. And it was going to destroy any chance of her father accepting him as the one she was going to be with for the rest of her life.

Bonnie already knew she would face a battle when she told her father. He didn't believe that anyone under eighteen could make such a heavy decision and normally she would have agreed. But he didn't know Damon. He didn't know what they had been through together. He had no idea that she tried and tried and _tried_ not to fall for him and that it was inevitable. She fought her love for him until she couldn't anymore. There was never going to be anyone else who made her feel the way he did no matter how old she was.

Her cellphone interrupted her crying. When she saw Caroline's name she took deep steadying breaths to calm herself.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? Your Dad called me looking for you!"

"What did you tell him?"

"That you were here doing homework but that you were in the bathroom with major diarrhea because you ate something weird. Apparently he's been trying to call you all night!" she huffed. "You're lucky I'm a good liar and that you're my best friend even though I seriously haven't seen you in _weeks_—"

Bonnie opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was a sob. She covered her mouth with her hand as more tears leaked from her eyes.

"Oh my God Bon, what's wrong?" Caroline's tone immediately changed. "Where are you? Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Care I'm screwed. I'm so screwed!" she sobbed heavily. "I don't know what to do!"

"What happened babe? Talk to me," Caroline's reprimanding voice was replaced with one of concern. "Are you okay?"

"No. No I'm not."

"Do you need me to come get you?"

"No," Bonnie took deep breaths to calm herself down. "I'm in the car. I need a place to crash for tonight."

"You're more than welcome to stay. You know I'd never turn you down," she said softly. "Just tell me what's going on. You've been so distant lately and everyone's been really worried about you. Matt and even Kol asked about you the other day when you weren't at lunch."

Bonnie squeezed her eyes shut. Her friends were so sweet she felt like she didn't deserve them. Maybe she didn't. Not with the things she'd been doing lately.

"It's such a long story Care. You're going to think I'm crazy," she whispered. The blonde snorted on the other end.

"Not as crazy as Elena, trust me."

Bonnie winced at the mention of her other best friend, "How is she?"

"She's…dealing, I guess. She's like…majorly depressed all the time and she never wants to do anything anymore," Caroline sighed. "I feel bad for her but a part of me feels like she had this coming. We tried to warn her that Damon wasn't good for her."

"Yeah, we did," she took a deep breath and let it out. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

Silence took over for about a second as she steeled her nerves. If Caroline hated her for what she was about to say she would completely understand. It didn't make the possibility of it hurt any less. The blonde was the closest girlfriend she had and she loathed the idea of losing their friendship.

"Bon?"

"I…I've been seeing someone. He's…he's gotten into something bad," she whispered, her stomach churning uncomfortably.

"Wait, what happened to that Thierry guy? I thought you were seeing _him_!"

"I…I was. It didn't work out."

"Why? What happened?"

She pulled the phone away from her ear and stuffed the arm of her sweatshirt in her mouth as another sob left her. She didn't even know how to even begin to explain everything that went wrong with their relationship. She couldn't bring herself to tell her that Damon was also charged with his murder.

"A lot…a lot happened Care. He wasn't…who I thought he was," she swallowed painfully.

"Okay…." Caroline said slowly. "So who are you seeing now?"

The moment of truth. It seemed to grow extra quiet inside the car and on the freeway as Bonnie prepared herself.

"It's Damon."

There was another beat of silence. And then….

"_What_? _Still_?I thought you were done with that!" she shrieked. "Are you _kidding_ Bonnie? Damon freaking Salvatore is a freaking criminal!"

"I know. My dad arrested him tonight."

"For _what_?"

Another deep breath.

"Possession of heroin."

"Of course he did! And you're still with him _why_?" the blonde demanded.

Bonnie didn't answer. Caroline sighed loudly on the other end. The brunette imagined a hand raking through her blonde curls before slapping her forehead in dismay.

"You were with him while he was with Elena, weren't you?"

"No. We weren't together then."

She snorted, "So he dumps Elena after getting her addicted to heroin and God only knows what else and you go _back_ to him? I can't believe I'm hearing this!"

"Care—"

"He _used_ our best friend, humiliated her and _lied_ to her just to sleep with her to get back at his brother, our _other_ best friend, and to break them up! He made a sex tape and sent it to _everyone_ at school Bonnie! How could you even be okay with him after all of that?"

"I love him," she choked out. "I know he's done really bad things and what happened to Elena was awful. She and Stefan didn't deserve that and he knows it. But I can't just…change how I feel Caroline! I've tried not to feel like this about him, I've tried to not be that girl that chooses to be with a guy that her friends hate but I _can't_ help it! I've tried to move on, I've tried everything to forget him and I can't! You know I've tried."

Silence took over again. Bonnie squeezed the pant leg of her jeans nervously, waiting for Caroline to say anything else. Silence was something that hardly happened on the phone with the bubbly blonde. Now that she was experiencing it, it made her nervous.

"A part of me always kind of knew you never really got over him," she sighed finally, sounding more resigned than angry. "I wanted to pretend you did so it would be easier to accept Elena being with him. And then you started seeing Thierry so I thought you were over it."

Bonnie's eyes fell shut and more tears leaked out.

"Does your dad know?"

"No. He will once he goes through his phone for evidence," Bonnie sniffled. "I'm screwed Care. I don't know what to do."

"You're going to come over here and you're going to tell me _exactly_ what's been going on in these last few weeks. I just made cookies and I'll sneak a bottle of wine from the cellar. You sound like you could use a serious drink right now."

"We have class Monday Care," she laughed weakly. The blonde snorted.

"Good thing it's Saturday night. Get your ass over here now Bonnie. You have some _serious_ explaining to do."

"Okay," she breathed before hanging up. It hadn't gone as badly as she had expected it to. She wanted to talk about it, hear her side of the story so that was a start. At least she wasn't automatically condemning her.

Taking more deep breaths, she waited five minutes before calling her father. He picked up on the first ring, barely giving her time to prepare what she was going to say.

"Hey Dad," she croaked. "Sorry I haven't answered. I don't feel well."

"You okay? Did you eat something bad?"

"We got food from this…Chinese place and it was super greasy. I'm better now."

"Alright," he paused. "Are you spending the night?"

"I think I should. I still feel a little shaky."

"Fine. I'll be working late tonight so it's better if you stay. But I would like you to meet me for breakfast tomorrow."

His voice sounded strained but she didn't comment.

"Where?"

"Home. I feel like I haven't seen you in a few days and I want to catch up. That okay?"

"Yeah," her breath hitched and more tears welled. "That's okay."

"I hope you feel better baby. Love you."

"Love you too. Goodnight," she mumbled before hanging up. She wiped the rest of her tears out of her eyes and threw her hair up in a loose bun before getting back on the freeway and heading for Caroline's.

* * *

><p><em>May 28<em>_th__ 2010: Morning After Graduation_

"You _seriously_ better have a good reason for waking me up at 8 in the morning on a day I don't need to be awake," Caroline grumbled as she answered the phone. "We looked _everywhere_ for you last night."

"I know. I'm sorry I was just…can you come get me?" Bonnie pleaded as she walked down the street of the Salvatore's gated community.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Da—the Salvatore's."

"_Still_?" Caroline sounded more alert now. "Kol didn't take you home?"

"No, I didn't see him after our fight."

"Then _where_ were you?"

"I'll explain it…just don't tell Elena," she added at the end.

"You're keeping it a secret from Elena? I know it has to be important," Caroline nearly sounded giddy. "Stay on the corner. We'll be there soon."

"Thank you," she breathed before hanging up. Holding her shoes in one hand and her purse in the other and her hair matted the way it was, she was certain she looked like a prostitute finishing up her round for the night. Thankfully, it was the weekend and everyone would probably be sleeping in, like she wished she was doing. But when she woke up and realized who she was sleeping next to, she had gathered her things quickly and bolted.

How the fuck could she do something so _stupid_?

Thinking about what happened now made her want to cry. But at the same time…Damon Salvatore was amazing. He was a good kisser and he was even better in bed, just like he'd boasted. Bonnie tried not to think about the dozens of girls he slept with to be that good. And that she was another conquest under his belt.

"Oh my God," she whined to herself as she dropped to the curb. The mortification was sinking in quickly and she dropped her head into her knees and rocked back and forth. How, how, _how_ could she have done that? It had taken her _months_ to get comfortable enough with Kol to sleep with him but all Damon had to do was say a few cute words to her and she was throwing her legs open. Her conscious taunted that she was a hypocrite for talking shit about Elena liking Damon when she'd just done this.

"Oh my God!" she said again as she looked to the sky. The sun was already making its appearance high in the sky and heating everything in its wake. It couldn't provide Bonnie with anything other than the hot ray of heat on her forehead and added discomfort to the headache she already had.

She heard a car rolling down the road and Bonnie thanked God profusely before standing. She nearly doubled over when she saw Klaus driving with Caroline in the passenger. He smirked when she opened the back door and slid inside.

"Wild night?" he asked with a cheerful grin. "We couldn't find you at all."

"I know," she said flatly.

"Kol was rather obnoxious all night because of it."

She said nothing and looked out the window.

"My house or yours?" Caroline asked.

"Yours, please."

Caroline caught her eye through the rear view window and they communicated silently for a few moments.

"Can you take us home babe?" she asked sweetly. "I think Bonnie and I need to have a long talk."

"I wouldn't want to intrude on that," Klaus chuckled as he swerved out of Damon's gated complex and onto the barren road. They made it in half the time.

"I'll see you later?" Klaus asked Caroline. She nodded with a beam.

"Don't tell Kol," she warned as she pointed at Bonnie. He laughed.

"My lips are sealed. I love knowing things my brother doesn't."

They watched him drive away. Caroline immediately took Bonnie to her bedroom, both of them greeting her parents good morning before she closed her door and locked it.

"Spill," she grinned. "What is _so_ bad that you can't tell Elena?"

Bonnie threw her shoes on the ground with her purse and sighed as she fell onto her bed. Caroline's smile disappeared when she saw how troubled her friend was.

"Bonnie?" she sat beside her, putting a hand on her back. Bonnie merely took one of her pillows and groaned loudly into it.

"I did something really, really screwed up," she mumbled. "I'm so stupid."

"Did you make out with that guy from the soccer team that's obsessed with your ass?"

"Apparently he's not the only one. But no, not him," she turned onto her side so she could face Caroline. "I need you to _swear_ you won't tell Elena."

"Yeah, yeah, I won't," Caroline waved her hand impatiently.

"Seriously Caroline. If she finds out she'll hate me forever."

"Alright Bonnie, I won't tell her! What's with all the secrecy? Did you break some sacred girl code or something?" Caroline laughed.

Bonnie took a deep breath, "I slept with Damon Salvatore."

Caroline's laughing abruptly stopped.

"You did _what_?"

"I know, I _know_! I'm a horrible person!" she brought another pillow to cover her face. "I'm the worst friend in history, I _know_."

"Wait, wait, how the hell did _you_ and _Damon Salvatore_ hook-up?" Caroline held up her hands. "No one saw him after he broke up with Katherine and told everyone about her and Enzo!"

"We were hiding from everyone and we both got _so_ drunk. I was hiding from Kol and…well, you guys and he didn't want to see anyone so we were outside and then I got sick—"

"Oh God, you didn't throw up on him did you?"

"No! Well, almost, but he took me to the pool house and brought me water and, basically, took care of me the whole night and…then one thing led to another..." she trailed off weakly. Caroline stared at her dumbfounded.

"You're being serious? Like you _really_, honest to God, had sex with him?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "But we were drunk!"

"This is the _greatest_ thing I've ever heard!" the blonde cackled wildly as lay beside her best friend on her stomach. "Elena would _die_ if she knew! Oh my God!"

"Don't you _dare_ tell her!" she cried. "She'll be pissed!"

"I won't tell her. We'd never hear the end of it," she rolled her eyes. "And I'd never do that to you."

"I know," Bonnie smiled slightly. "I just feel so guilty."

"Why? She always tells us that she doesn't have feelings for him so this shouldn't bother her at all."

"But we know she does."

"But she's never _admitted_ to them," Caroline grinned. "All I'm saying is that if Elena found out she would have no right to be upset, especially since she's supposed to be all in love and loyal to Stefan. And it's not like you and Damon are dating. It was a one night stand."

Bonnie ignored the stab of discomfort she felt when Caroline said that.

"Although, this _does_ present a problem for Kol," the blonde sighed dramatically. "All he did last night was talk about how much he loved you and wanted you back."

"Seriously?" Bonnie groaned. "I told him we were done."

"You might be but he's not," Caroline gave her a sideways glance. "He kept telling us how much he's screwed up and that he doesn't deserve you and that he's so sorry and on and on. It was kind of sweet, actually. I was going to record it for you if I wasn't holding two drinks in my hand."

Bonnie laughed, "Well we're done. Really, really done this time. I can't take any more of his family hating me."

She closed her eyes in regret the moment she said. She'd completely forgotten that Caroline didn't know of her struggle.

"Okay, you really need to explain to me how and why the Mikaelson's hate you," Caroline sat up using her elbows. "You keep saying that it's not a big deal but if you and Kol keep breaking up over it then it clearly is!"

Bonnie was silent for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts. Finally, she just decided to throw caution to the wind.

"His parents don't like me because I'm black," she said bluntly. Caroline made a noise in the back of her throat.

"I kind of figured that was what you meant," she murmured. "And I think they still take after old Southern values. Sometimes they say things about Celeste or to her that make me feel uncomfortable."

"At least Elijah defends her. Kol never speaks up for me. It's like he loses his balls when his Daddy enters the room," she spat sarcastically. Caroline giggled.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say that before," she grinned. Bonnie rolled her eyes while smiling.

"Serious question though: did you sleep with Damon to get back at him?"

"I didn't do it to get back at him. I was lonely and drunk and Damon was the same and we both wanted someone to talk to. He was really hurt by Katherine and Enzo," she said softly.

"You should've seen him call them out. It was insane, although I felt really bad for him," Caroline sighed. "I felt bad for Katherine but she deserved this. And now everyone knows she's pregnant with Enzo's baby."

"What she did to him was beyond awful. They were going to trap him in a marriage and feed off his money and they would've lied to him for the rest of his life! How fucked up is that? He already doesn't get to do what he really wants to do because his father has this image he wants them to uphold and he—what?"

She stopped when she saw Caroline grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you just get added to the list of personal Damon cheerleaders?" she smirked as she poked her side. Bonnie shoved her shoulder playfully.

"We stayed up all night talking."

"Before he screwed your brains out!" she got to her knees. "How big is his penis?"

"Care!" Bonnie whined as she laughed. "I'm trying to forget this happened!"

"Why the hell would you do that? You slept with one of the hottest guys in the entire school! You _have_ to give me details!" Caroline squealed as she shook her playfully. "Don't be a loser Bonnie!"

"You have a boyfriend with a big penis as you like to tell me," Bonnie laughed as she tried to gently push her away. "I don't remember anyways. I was drunk!"

"Liar! I _know_ you remember every single detail of your insanely hot rebound sex! Now spill woman!"

"Alright, alright," Bonnie conceded with a laugh. She thought back to the night remembering, with a shiver, how Damon handled her. He wasn't too rough but he wasn't gentle either. Thinking about it now made her grow warm between her legs. She could feel his hand sliding up her thigh as he brought it around his waist as he angled his hips to hit that spot that had her choking for air like she was drowning. "It was…really, really hot."

"And?"

"And it was big. It was very big. I think…"

"What?"

"I think I almost had an orgasm," she admitted with a blush. Caroline laughed in surprise.

"Seriously? Kol never…?"

"Well yeah but…not like…that," she giggled.

"So in other words, Damon's amazing in bed," the blonde surmised. "If I said I wish I could see it just once without it ruining my relationship with Klaus, would you judge me?"

"Not at all," Bonnie laughed.

"He'd have to understand. I love him and everything but Damon's _so_ sexy."

"I know," the brunette giggled more. She was glad she had someone she could enjoy this with, someone who wouldn't condemn her the way she was internally condemning herself. She could go back to self-loathing and regret tomorrow. Right now she was taking Damon's advice and living in the moment.

That moment was shattered about ten minutes later when Elena called her.

"God, I don't know what to tell her," Bonnie sighed miserably as her phone rang. "What do I tell her?"

"Tell her that you were hiding in the Salvatore pool house because you got sick and you didn't want anyone to see you."

"What about Damon?"

"Just say you were alone," Caroline shrugged. "She's not going to find out unless he tells her."

"That's true. You're right," she said with a deep breath. "She's not going to find out."

"Enough with how Elena feels. I want to know how _you_ feel about this," Caroline said softly. "He's the only other person you've been with besides Kol."

It was odd but she didn't feel as embarrassed now as she did this morning. She was more worried about people seeing her leave the house like a booty call. She didn't know Damon on the level she had known Kol when they first started having sex but it was different with him. As flirtatious and crass as he came off, he'd taken such good care of her the night before she almost felt like they were old friends. They'd certainly talked like they were. And when they had taken things further he'd been patient with her. It almost felt like friends exploring each other for the first time and it had felt different in a good way.

"You're not the type to do one night stands Bon," she said softly. Bonnie looked down at her lap, emotions conflicting.

"I'm still upset over Kol. I still love him…I guess I wanted to make it go away and Damon was there and he made me feel better. It was different with him. I don't know how to describe it."

Caroline wrapped her arm around her in a tight hug.

"You were both hurting and in need of someone. I get it. But don't let Damon replace Kol Bon. He's going away to school in a few months and you're still in high school," Caroline said softly. "I'm proud of you for ending it with Kol but you have to give yourself time to heal. Jumping into another relationship isn't the way to do it."

"I know," she mumbled. It was silly of her but she felt a real connection with Damon the night before. Almost as if they could've been something. But they had both been drunk and in need of companionship. Their tryst wasn't anything beyond that.

"Give yourself the summer to get over Kol. Then when school starts we'll find you a hot football player to make Kol jealous with. Maybe he'll be the new quarterback," she winked.

"Whatever you say Care."

The blonde picked up her phone and sighed loudly.

"What?"

"Elena wants to do lunch. I'll tell her I'm picking you up. You can shower and borrow clothes," Caroline pulled her to her feet and ushered her towards the bathroom. Before Bonnie entered it she turned around and threw her arms around the blonde's neck.

"Thank you for being the best," she whispered. Caroline hugged her back just as fiercely.

"Anytime," she smiled. Bonnie returned it before dragging herself to the shower.

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

After what felt like an eternity, a man dressed in a faded navy button down and dark pants entered Damon's interrogation room. He said nothing as he sat, merely fixing Damon with a blank stare as he shoved a notepad and paper towards him.

"Mr. Salvatore, let's make this fast and simple. You confess your crimes and write them down and we'll consider a plea deal," he sounded utterly bored. Damon's smirk grew.

"Shouldn't I wait for my lawyer to get here?"

"Do you have one?"

"I haven't been allowed to make my phone call yet."

The balding man sighed, "You can get one after."

Damon's eyebrow rose, "Don't I get the right to have counsel present while you question me?"

He gave him a harsh glare, "Kid, no lawyer is going to be able to help you. The evidence against you is solid."

"Is it now," Damon leaned forward with his infuriating grin. "Have you found a murder weapon with my fingerprints on it?"

His brow furrowed and the raven-haired man nearly chuckled at his confused demeanor.

"I'll take that as a no."

"You've got a real smart mouth for someone looking at life in prison," the officer snapped. "We know you killed Thierry Vanchure."

"He was my business partner. Why would I kill him?"

"Your business partner," he deadpanned. "Selling heroin?"

"Sure."

"So you're admitting to selling it."

"You found it didn't you?" his eyebrow rose. "Let's cut the crap officer. You want me to go down for murder more than possession."

"You were the last one to see him alive," he hissed as he leaned forward. "You were the very last person Thierry saw before he died."

"How do you know that?"

"An anonymous tip. Said you were the last person that saw him and that you both had beef that had gotten out of hand," the officer leaned back. "Why would someone tell us that?"

"We sell the best heroin in town. Obviously other dealers are feeling some type of way about it," Damon leaned back in his seat too. "Maybe they killed Thierry and framed me for it to eliminate the competition."

"So you think someone from another gang killed him?"

"More than likely. I've been threatened too."

"By who?"

Damon shrugged. The officer gave an exasperated sigh.

"C'mon kid. Don't protect them."

"I'm not. I have no idea who they are. They're from 17th Block Crew and other local gangs. Everyone wants a piece of the business so everyone that's in it is a threat."

"Well right now you're the only one that looks good for Thierry Vanchure's murder. And unless you can give me a name or something useful, a jury is going to believe that too. They're going to send you to prison for life."

Damon watched him unimpressed.

"Let's talk about Bonnie Bennett," he said abruptly as he pulled out a piece of paper. "What's your relationship with her?"

Damon's jaw clenched and he gave him a level stare.

"We've seen the texts. All 267 of them," he folded his hands on the table. "There's no point in lying Mr. Salvatore. We know you two are involved and the number of years you'll get for carrying an extensive sexual relationship with a minor tacked on to the number of years you'll face for possession and murder could have you in solitary if they go for the maximum. So just confess Salvatore, and hope that you get out in ten or twenty years for parole."

Damon took steady breaths to control his breathing. The _last_ thing he wanted was Bonnie involved. After everything that she endured, it wasn't fair that she be dragged into his mess too. _He _was the one that pursued this relationship; _he_ was the one that wouldn't leave her alone until she gave into him. He caused all of her pain and suffering. All he wanted was to take the fall for it alone.

"How did the relationship start?"

"The texts didn't tell you that information?" his eyebrow rose.

"They only date as far back as a few weeks ago. We know that you were involved but not for how long."

"Only a few weeks. It's nothing serious."

"Really," he chuckled. "The 48 times you tell her you love her lead me to believe otherwise."

Damon shrugged, "I was just telling her what she wanted to hear."

"You two must spend a lot of time together. You must confide in her a lot," a smirk started on his face. "I'm willing to bet that she knows exactly what happened the night Thierry was murdered. I wonder what she'd say if she was brought in for questioning."

Damon's eyebrow twitched and he gritted his teeth together.

"She has nothing to do with this," his voice held no trace of earlier humor.

"What's wrong Salvatore? Scared your girlfriend is going to rat you out?"

"She has _nothing_ to do with this. It's just a stupid fling. I didn't tell her anything," Damon snarled. "I want my phone call. _Now_."

"Are you trying to protect yourself? Or are you trying to protect her?" he leaned forward. "Did she kill him Damon? Is that why you won't tell me where the murder weapon or his body is? Because _she_ killed him and she wants _you_ to take the fall for it?"

"As amusing as your accusations are, I would _really_ appreciate my phone call," Damon snapped. "I'm not talking anymore without a fucking lawyer."

The officer hung his head briefly before standing, shuffling his papers back into the folder.

"Do yourself a favor kid. Just tell the truth," he sighed. "You look like a good kid from a good family that just got mixed up in bad shit. Don't go down for some girl that's not even gonna love you when it's all said and done."

Damon stared at the wall rigidly, not bothering to respond. He didn't even move when the door was closed after the officer left. His heart pounded and he tried to calm himself as best he could without moving too much, all his thoughts revolving around the young brunette. That pig didn't know what the hell he was talking about. He didn't know him or his girl or the shit they went through. He didn't know anything at all.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Did you get anything?" Hopkins asked the officer gruffly when he came out. He shook his head.

"Not much," he looked at him nervously. "When I brought up your daughter he completely shut down and called for a lawyer."

Larry Griffith, Hopkin's red-headed partner, sighed heavily, "So they're together."

"I think it might be…a little more complicated than that," he cleared his throat. Hopkins tensed.

"What do you mean complicated?"

"It seemed like he was…protecting her," he said slowly. Hopkins stared at him in confusion for a few seconds.

"What are you talking about? Protecting her from what?"

The officer looked stressed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Did you consider the possibility that they might…be in on the murder together?"

Hopkin's confusion gave way to instant rage.

"Are you out of your goddamned mind? My daughter is not a _murderer_!" he snarled at him. "If you drag my daughter into this you better have proof she was involved!"

"I'm not saying she is!" he replied hastily as he took a step back. "I was just speculating—!"

"Then don't," Griffith snapped. "Thanks for your help."

The officer chanced a sheepish look at Hopkins before scurrying down the hall. Hopkins slammed a fist on his desk and let out a string of curse words.

"That son-of-a-bitch—I should've _known_ that they would believe Bonnie was involved with this murder somehow," he snarled angrily. "They'd believe anything to keep the rich white kid out of prison."

"They're not going to throw her in prison. But they will have to question her," Griffith patted his shoulder. "They can't give Bonnie special treatment because she's your daughter."

"I know. I just don't understand this," he sighed as he ran a hand over his head. "How the hell does she even know this clown? He's a gangster!"

"He went to Mystic Falls High. She could know him from there."

"But why date him knowing he's a thug? Why would she stick around for that? She's smarter than that!" Hopkins sighed. "Bonnie is smarter than this Larry. Something about this isn't right."

Griffith sighed at his partner's dismay.

"I know it's hard knowing she's in this relationship but we don't even know her side of the story. We should bring her in to talk. She probably knows what happened the night Thierry Vanchure was killed."

Hopkins glared at the papers on his desk. If the other cops saw his daughter being escorted in like she was some criminal they would automatically think negatively about her. He wasn't a fool. He knew exactly what would happen if Bonnie was dragged into this. He _knew_ Bonnie was no murderer. His little girl was queasy at the sight of blood; it was impossible for her to even consider killing someone.

"Let me talk to her. Alone," he said finally. "If I talk to her as her father and not a cop she might be more willing to open up."

Griffith nodded, not feeling entirely confident with his partner's plan. It was unethical, and by all means Hopkins should've been pulled from the case when they first realized it involved his daughter but he understood where he was coming from. He wanted to protect his daughter and he wouldn't fault him for it.

"Alright."

As he started to leave, Hopkins called to him again.

"My baby isn't a killer," he said quietly, almost pleading. "You've met her Griffith. You _know_ her. She's not a murderer. If she was a part of this, there's a damn good reason why."

Griffith nodded and gave him a small, reassuring smile before leaving for the night.

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Bonnie felt like she'd been hit by a train when she woke up the next morning. It took her a few seconds to remember everything that happened and for the anxiety, nausea and general feeling of terror to seep back into her body. Sitting up, she leaned over Caroline's still sleeping form and saw that it was only nine.

Last night had been hard. She'd come clean about everything to Caroline. She told her about Thierry, about Damon, the drugs, the gang and Marcel. By the time she was done they were both crying so hard they could barely breathe but that didn't stop them from clinging to each other for the rest of the night.

Bonnie swallowed, her throat feeling scratchy as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. It was hard waking up knowing that the man she loved was sitting in a jail cell because of her. That they weren't in his bed making love because of her. The thought of it made her so sick that she felt close to throwing up. All she wanted was to hold him again, to tell him nothing bad would happen to him.

A new batch of tears formed in her eyes and she covered her face as they started falling. She clamped her hands around her mouth to muffle her sobs but it was in vain as Caroline had sat up next to her and drew her back into her arms.

"I'm sorry," she choked out as she laid her head in her lap.

"Don't be silly Bon. You don't _ever_ have to apologize for this," the blonde croaked. "God I can't believe you've been dealing with this by yourself. I'm so sorry."

"It's my fault…I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to know," she took deep, steadying breaths to calm herself. "The only person who knew anything was Tyler and that was on accident."

"Well however my ex-boyfriend found out, I'm glad he did," she murmured, running her fingers through her hair. "Are you going to go to the police?"

"I should. I will," she swallowed. "Stefan is supposed to let me know today if his father will get him a lawyer."

"What if he doesn't?"

Bonnie shook her head slowly, "I'll tell them what happened. I'll tell them what Thierry did and why…why Damon had to do…what he did."

"I'm glad Damon did what he did. Thierry deserved it," Caroline said vehemently. "If that asshole was still alive I'd kick his ass myself."

Bonnie smiled slightly at her protective tone.

"I want to kick Damon's ass too…but not as hard. Just for what he did to Elena and Stefan and for being a dick to you after you stopped talking to him the first time."

"I already kicked his ass for Elena and Stefan. He knows what he did was messed up. And when we stopped talking, that was my fault."

"Still. He didn't have to be such a baby about it," she grumbled.

She laughed into the blanket. She felt better knowing that she was sitting in Caroline's room, the scene of so many after-school hangouts and gossip sessions, telling her the heavy truth about her life. It felt good to have one of her best friends back. She wasn't sure if things could be the same with any of them but at least she had Caroline.

It saddened her how much she had excluded her from her life. Being in love with a gang-banging criminal was tough but as involved as Damon was, her friends would have immediately discouraged any contact with him. And she should've stopped with him; after the Elena disaster she _knew_ that she should stop associating with the man that ruined her best friend's life but she couldn't. It was exhausting to keep lying and lying. Sometimes she couldn't tell her lies apart from the truth.

"I think you should at least tell your dad," Caroline suggested. "I know you think he'll hate you but you have to tell _someone_ Bon. You could get Damon out of jail and you deserve justice."

"I know. I'm going to tell them today. I'm just scared because I never…reported the abuse to the police. They might think I'm just making it up now because he's dead. What if they don't believe that Damon killed him because he was protecting me?"

"He threatened to kill you if you went to anyone! They have to understand that!"

"Maybe," she mumbled as she sat up. She looked at the clock again; it was ten now. "I should probably go."

Caroline watched her friend worriedly as she gathered her clothes from the night before. She used the mirror of her white wood vanity to put her long hair in a bun atop her head and used the Vaseline on the dresser to remove the smeared black liner from her eyes.

"I'll call you later if I'm not dead," Bonnie joked halfheartedly when she was done.

"You better."

"You won't tell anyone about…?"

"Don't even worry about it. I wouldn't even know where to start," Caroline fell back against her pillows. "And I thought explaining Elena's situation was bad."

"Seriously," Bonnie huffed. "So…are we okay?"

"Of _course_ we are! I was just mad at you because I was scared," Caroline got out of bed to hug her. "You're my best friend Bon. I get nervous when I don't see you for weeks and we go to the same school and live seven minutes away from each other. And now I see I had every right to be worried. You went through an awful, horrible thing and you did it alone."

"I wasn't alone completely Care."

"That's not the point. I should've done something when I knew something was wrong right away. I knew when you quit the cheer team," she murmured. Bonnie nodded.

"I knew it would raise red flags. But Thierry didn't want me wearing my cheer uniform where other guys could see me."

"Asshole," she snorted, making Bonnie smile. Her phone buzzed and she ran to her nightstand to read the incoming text.

"Oh shit. The Donovan's Christmas party is tonight," she slapped a hand to her forehead. "I completely forgot to tell you!"

"It's okay," Bonnie gave her a reassuring smile. In everything that had been happening the holidays had completely slipped her mind.

"This might be a stupid question but are you going?"

"I hadn't thought about it," she answered truthfully. "But I probably should so everyone doesn't worry anymore."

"I can totally cover for you. I have been for the past few weeks—not to make you feel bad," she added hastily. Bonnie laughed as she shook her head.

"I'll go. I need to talk to Stefan anyway."

"He'll probably be there. Elena probably won't go so he will," she sent a quick text back to Matt.

"You won't…tell them about Tyler either will you?"

"God no. If they knew you talked to him they would freak," Caroline rolled her eyes. "And I can only imagine how that conversation would go over with Matt."

Bonnie winced. It often slipped her mind that she replaced Tyler in their circle of friends. The reason why often made it hard for her to look at Matt sometimes and made it much easier to avoid him.

"You seriously don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone, not even Klaus," the blonde promised. "Just promise me you'll tell someone the truth. Damon's life might depend on that."

"I know. I will," she murmured. The thought of telling anyone else about her ordeal was enough to make her stomach roll. She knew how people would judge her and she feared how it would break her. They would call her stupid for not doing anything to help herself out of a bad relationship but they would never understand that she didn't have a choice.

"You're going to be fine Bon. Everything is going to be fine once you tell your dad," Caroline soothed. "I know it's all going to work out."

Bonnie smiled grimly, "I hope you're right."

* * *

><p><em>Present Day: The Salvatore Residence<em>

Giuseppe Salvatore sighed heavily as he threw back another shot of Scotch. He set the glass down on the dark wood oak desk in his office and faced his son, his pleading puppy-dog look making him inwardly roll his eyes. He'd just spent five minutes of his precious time listening to Stefan whine about Damon's arrest and he certainly wasn't in the mood for the topic of his eldest son.

"Damon's arrest is of his own doing. He is the one who decided to become a heathen and break the law. He should've realized that he would've been caught," he said gruffly. "Why should I waste my money on bailing him out if he's just going to go back and do whatever he did again?"

"He's being charged with something he shouldn't be charged for," Stefan stressed. "I know Damon's done some bad things but he—"

"Damon is a criminal. I'm ashamed to call that disgrace my son. And why do you still care about him?" he snapped. "I thought the two of you stopped speaking months ago."

"We did. But he's still my brother _and_ your son, even if you don't want him to be," Stefan glared at him. "He deserves to have a lawyer Dad. Do you really want him to spend life in prison?"

"I don't much care what happens to him. If he gets life in prison that is his fault and there is nothing you or I can do about it Stefan," Giuseppe took another shot of Scotch. "He's nothing but an embarrassment to this family and it would be in your best interest to forget about him."

"I won't forget about my own brother!" Stefan cried. "Why can't you bail him out at least?"

"What exactly did he get arrested for? You keep saying that he had good reason for doing what he did but I have yet to hear what that actually is," Giuseppe's eyebrow rose when Stefan visibly faltered.

"I…he got caught with heroin."

"And?"

Stefan sighed, "If I tell you, you won't help him."

"You may as well tell me Stefan. It'll be all over the news soon enough. Just one more thing for me to deal with," he grumbled angrily. "Why can't that boy ever do anything right?"

Stefan sighed heavily as he hung his head. Ever since Damon decided not to go to college and forfeit his football scholarship his father had treated him like he was the plague. It was as if Giuseppe took personal insult to the fact that Damon didn't want to attend his old Alma Mater in favor of taking time to find himself. The day after his graduation changed them in ways that they could never come back from, and he completely understood Damon's need to explore the world before being confined to the one he already knew. After everything he went through with Katherine, Enzo and then their mother, he deserved some slack. Unfortunately, their father hadn't seen it that way.

"I don't have all day Stefan," he barked, snapping the younger Salvatore out of his thoughts. Stefan sighed again.

"He was arrested for murdering someone."

Giuseppe choked on the bit of Scotch he'd swallowed at the same time. He sat the glass down and stood from his chair.

"Tell me you're not serious."

"I am," Stefan said quietly. "You have to help him Dad."

"Why? So he can go back out and do it to someone else?" he shook his head. "Perhaps prison is the best place for him."

"He didn't have any choice! The guy was going to kill him and his girlfriend!"

"So he killed another man over a woman. Typical Damon; always thinking with his lower head," Giuseppe snorted at his own joke. "Was this broad even worth it? She's probably the one that ratted him out to the police."

"She didn't," Stefan growled. "He did it out of self-defense!"

"I'm sorry Stefan but I can't bring myself to set free a murderer. Damon did the crime, now he can do time for it," Giuseppe sat back down and looked back at his computer screen. Stefan's mouth dropped in shock.

"That's it? You're just going to let him go to prison?" he yelled. "You just want him gone so you don't have to deal with the fact that your perfect football playing son turned down a scholarship and embarrassed you in front of your fancy acquaintances that don't even care about you!"

"Don't speak to me like that!" Giuseppe barked, anger contorting his features. "If Damon was arrested for killing someone then he deserves prison! Your brother did something stupid and he thinks my money is going to be enough to make it go away and it won't! Not this time Stefan! Your brother is on his own, unless you would like to use your inheritance to pay for a lawyer yourself!"

Stefan's face contorted with the same anger.

"Fine!" he snarled as he stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind him. Giuseppe blinked in surprise before sagging in his plush black office chair.

"Goddamnit Damon, what the hell did you do?" he grumbled as he poured more Scotch. He took one more long sip before grabbing his cellphone. He scrolled through his contacts before finding the one he wanted. The phone rang twice before it was answered.

"Richard? This is Giuseppe. I need a favor."

**Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Stefan slammed the door shut to his room. He hit it with a closed fist before throwing himself onto his bed. Anger burned within him as he thought about the conversation with his father and how it didn't go at all how he wanted it too. He didn't know how the hell he was supposed to tell Bonnie.

He rolled onto his back and glared at his ceiling fan whirling around on the highest speed. His father was back to being the unbearable asshole he'd always been. Why he believed that he would be any different since Damon's departure he didn't know. In a way he'd become worse; when his brother was gone suddenly football was no longer important and it became all about him and a soccer scholarship. His father started talking college soccer stats with him at the dinner table and treated Damon like the wallpaper in the background that wasn't worthy of being noticed. And instead of feeling satisfaction that he was no longer the son that was second best, it made him feel dirty and sorry for Damon who wasn't used to experiencing the treatment. He may have been jealous of all his brother had but he never wanted to replace him. If he'd of known that Damon rejecting his football scholarship would've caused all of this he would've begged his brother to reconsider it.

* * *

><p><em>June 18, 2010: 4 Weeks After Graduation<em>

Stefan felt his skin prickle at the stony silence that enveloped their dinner table. He looked at the empty chair across from him where his mother used to sit and his heart lurched painfully. They hadn't heard from her since she left and he wasn't sure when he would be ready to speak to her. She betrayed their family and now they were barely hanging on. At least he still had Elena and his friends to hang onto. Damon didn't even have Katherine or Enzo anymore.

He took a look at said brother out of the corner of his eye; his hair was messy and unkempt, like it hadn't seen a brush in days; he hadn't shaved since the night of his party and his scruff was taking over his face; his normally bright eyes that were full of mischief were dull and full of anger. He spent most of his time in his room or out of the house but Stefan had heard him sneaking out at night. A few nights he stayed up waiting to hear him stumble down the hallway drunkenly in the early morning after he returned from wherever he went. The behavior was starting to trouble him but every time he confronted Damon about it he would brush him off as if he was making a big deal out of nothing.

"So Damon, have you heard anything from Ole Miss?" Giuseppe's gruff voice destroyed the silence. "I believe the team starts training next month."

Damon remained silent, continuing to eat his food slowly. Giuseppe shot him a concerned look.

"Damon?"

"I don't want to go," he finally grumbled. Stefan blinked.

"You don't want to go to?"

"No," he finally raised his head and looked between his father and his brother. The silence now was thick with tension.

"What the hell do you mean you don't want to go?" Giuseppe barked. "You _are_ going Damon! You got a scholarship for God sakes!"

"I don't want to," Damon said as calmly as before. "I changed my mind."

"Don't be absurd Damon. You can't change your mind. You already accepted the position and do you know how it's going to look when their star quarterback quits a month before training starts?"

"They can find a replacement," Damon shrugged. "I just don't feel like going anymore."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Giuseppe spat as he stood, throwing down his silverware. "You're going to that damn school whether you want to or not Damon. Get out of this funk you're in and get yourself together!"

Before either brother could protest he stormed out of the room. Damon watched him with a blank stare before sighing and putting his napkin on the table.

"Since when don't you want to go to Ole Miss?" Stefan asked incredulously. "It's always been your dream school."

"It was," he murmured as he held his glass of Coke lazily in his hand. "Things change Stefan."

His brow furrowed, "If this is about Katherine or Mom—"

"It's not. It's about me Stefan. I just…I don't know what I want right now."

Stefan frowned deeper when Damon looked at his phone, sent a quick text to someone and stood to take his plate into the kitchen. Something about this didn't seem right to him. Why would his brother, the talented football star with the potential to get drafted to the NFL, suddenly decide that was something he no longer wanted to do? It made absolutely no sense.

He heard Damon briskly wash his utensils before he crossed back through the dining room quickly and going up the stairs. He came back down five minutes later dressed in different clothes and his hair actually brushed for once.

"Where're you going?" Stefan asked as he pulled the front door open.

"Out. Don't worry baby brother, I'll be fine," Damon winked. Stefan watched him leave in his white Mustang, wondering what the hell his brother was up to.

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are love! Thanks for reading!<strong>


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